Regrets & Monsters
by Shelia13
Summary: Her voice still haunted his mind, no matter how much he told himself he would never regret the decisions he made.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Deku's glare cut a crossed the room, the dance floor was packed, but he knew that Deku was glaring, it was something that he had earned. Deku had an arm hovering over the girl's shoulder to accompany the glare as though he was the villain.

It was a decision that he had made, but he'd be damned if he was going to regret making it. Deku had only paused once when he was the one sent to vanguard the villains from advancing into their location during that attack. Deku knew him well, Deku knew, but pushed the information to the back of his mind.

Katsuki closed his eyes begging his mind not to recollect in perfect detail the panic that helped accelerate the sweat, the sound of her screams as he burned the wound closed to save her life, or the whispers of apology and understanding as she begged him to ignore her tears. He begged his mind not to remember each detail that he was told to repeat over and over when the case was going up for review. He begged himself not to remember her tears as she did her best to hold it together.

Someone tugged on his arm pulling him onto the dance floor. Uraraka. His eyes instinctively traced to the edge of her dress where the top of the lengthy scar began, playing near the edge of her sleeve. He had given her a lifetime scar and the doctors made sure he knew. Only on the first occasion they had stated the same words that ran through his brain at the time, they were surprised she was even conscious for those decisions that he had made. He wished she hadn't been, instead of the screams playing in his mind like a background soundtrack to his life, he would have her hating him for that scar instead.

Uraraka's hands tightened around his, "-And Deku's been so overprotective lately. I'm babbling, i'm sorry, what I meant was thank you."

His hands tightened, no way in hell was anyone going to let anyone make him regret his decision.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Fire burned all alternative escape routes. Fear that was output as anger made it easier to sweat, therefore easier and bigger explosions. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Deku scooping up the woman.

His company had signed up for a scouting mission, nothing more. Although they had decided to send him it was more of a display of power, but when the other company sent over Deku, Uravity shadowing him only a couple feet back, it was anybody's bet on which questions he was going to be asking.

He was given the same answers, they were positive there was a gang organization starting to swell in the city and if they were to see strong heroes circling the area it would squish the rising potential of any crime syndicate. When he denied Deku the boss simply laughed at him, shuffled the papers, and paused before asking 'Uravity is fine though?'

He didn't need to explain that, she was different. He could remember from back in high school where fire blazed within her eyes, when he finally heard her reasoning she was insistent it was selfish. But no one would argue with him that she wasn't as smart as he thought she was. Becoming a hero wasn't a fling for her no matter how much others wanted to argue with him, because her reasons were 'selfish'. The people who couldn't see past the reasons she presented them made his blood boil. It was as though she needed a reason to do something so dangerous, but her eyes contained something that didn't bloom in many. Her eyes were passionate and determined. She had every quality to be a hero and then some. It was enough to shut him up, if asked later on he would just say that it was too much energy to explain.

Eventually, he had gone on the mission, Deku and all. It was a scouting mission, a show of force to quell the rising crime operations in the particular city, and to check on any rising organizations. In a town the was constantly overrun with crime. It was a trap by their bosses in hopes of getting them each murdered in exchange for paying off the underworld bosses that their own bosses had somehow come to owe.

They had been doing fine, until he was too aggressive, too into the fight, his blood pumping like it usually did. The atmosphere titled as he felt pressure fall to his side, a feeling running down his bare are and dripping onto his foot. Out of instinct, he glanced from the corner of his eye he could see the back of her head, feel her struggle to breathe, and the shaking of her skin as she attempted to support herself. From the angle of her head, she was glaring in a certain direction, up towards the sky. Uraraka. She had been shot, not with a quirk, but with an actual bullet. Everything moved slowly as the person he was fighting twisted their foot and running with all of the logic that was blurring in each of their heads. Deku reached for Uraraka, spinning her around as he darted away from the landmine. As he darted away from him.

Boom.  
Flames scattered the land reaching higher then the screams for help would ever.

He reeled in the panic, anger flaring as a form of a masquerade. It was his fault. He hadn't been paying attention, he had been caught in the rush of exhilaration, the battle that let him forget all of his regrets so far. In that moment he felt like the kid he was in high school, back on one of his trips, helpless. Helpless to do anything. He had become a hero so he would never be helpless to do anything, but it was though it was a steadily growing helplessness that was rampaging around inside his head.

Deku was smart to run away from him, he glanced around, the villains that were hired to kill them clutching their necks begging for mercy. "I don't hand out mercy, which one of you did it?" His voice rolled up his throat a smooth growl sailing into the air. The villains looked at each other begging each other to fess up, no one knew what he was asking about. Katsuki let fire engulf the rest of the grass, watching as it smoldered into a burnt crispy, then glanced at the eyes of each of the villains, "so who's next?"

It wasn't the first time he had to play the villain to get information. Honestly, it was why his organization usually sent him, they wanted someone who could strike the fear of day into someone to the point they decided to reform. His hand curled around the closest villain's collar, his usually boisterous voice came out a soft quiet whisper, a smile of a different variety forming on his face, "was it you?" He asked into the ear of the villain, he could hear the man breathe, almost see the panic that was running through the man's veins. The smoke diffusing off of his skin causing the villain to beg, he threw him to the side moving to the next, and the next, and the next. Each of them saying the same things. Another herd of villains were preparing to come out to fight him.

The sound of Deku's panicking was something that he wouldn't have heard if he wasn't used to listening to the incoherent mutterings from him. His body seemed to be waiting for Deku to do what he usually did when he was thinking. Katsuki took a breath, letting go of the latest victim, the one behind that one scurrying away.

An eerie calm washed over him as he walked up the hill where Deku had hidden. "Deku go out there." He started causing Deku to look at him, a dumbstruck look painting itself on his face. "You know what we came here to do," Katsuki grumbled, irritation as Deku's lack of movement growing, as he took his gloves off.

Katsuki wiped the residual sweat the had surrounded his hands off on his pants and struggled to turn off the newly found power in his quirk that would knock the attacker out, possibly poisonous, but not yet found deadly.

Deku paused, moving slowly to the outside of the cave without arguing. Katsuki sighed he was bracing himself for a huge argument with Deku, but it had been easier to argue with the hero that was running on little to no sleep with the way his organization had been running him ragged.

He knelt by Uraraka, eyes closed struggling to breathe, before he got to work. Scrutinizing the amount of damage she had on her. What kind of weapon was that? It wasn't a normal bullet.

He glanced around wishing that he had something more sanitary to work with. He unclipped the water bottle hanging limp off of Uraraka's belt, she had been working floating and controlling liquids on their way to this destination. She was insistent that it would be a help somehow, but touching liquids wasn't the easiest thing. He threw the water over his hands, it was the best he could do, before he searched for if the bullet remained inside of her. He watched her bite her lip, his hero training didn't give him this much of a medical course. It was survival tactics until someone could help them, not how to remove and fix bullets. His let his eyes mostly search for the bullet, not for the first time in his life, begging his hands not to sweat as he searched for the bullet.

After several minutes of searching and establishing blood-covered hands he found it. He plucked the bullet out setting it to the side. When they made it out of here he would have one of the scientists he could trust look at it, if these were specially made to get through his flames and kill him there were surely others. And other bullets engineered for others quirks.

He took a breath, if she lived there was no way he was going to beg for forgiveness. Absolutely not. He glanced towards her eyes surprised that she was still awake, that determination from once he first acknowledged her glaring towards the door, she was watching his back as he worked. _'Uravity is fine though?'_ Heck, yes, Uravity was fine. She was an excellent hero and there was no way that she was going to die here because of him.

He instinctively reached for the water attempting to wash the wound, "this is going to hurt." He whispered attempting to ignore his own words as he burned her wound shut. He burnt the wound closed struggling to keep himself from rushing to contradict her screams,

"Katsuki! Katsuki! You're hurting me!" Her voice sounded as though it was placed next to his ears, "Please!" Her voice radiated and bounced around the cave.

He felt his eyes tear themselves open as he sat up, his hand enclosed around something refusing to release it, in fear that it might disappear. The scent of smoke reeking in his bedroom, and Uraraka on the edge of his bed struggling to free her wrist from his hand. Katsuki let go of her arm, wide-eyed, as his handprint remained burnt onto her wrist.

"Don't do that." He growled, getting out of the bed as he went to the bathroom, grabbing a cloth. They had been staying in the hotel where the party was at. What had possessed this woman to come in his room while he slept? He was exactly what the news was calling him, _a living time bomb. One that didn't have a problem hurting his teammates._

He glanced towards her wrist wrapping the now wet washcloth around it, "why are you in here?" He snapped, sitting back on the bed next to her. This woman of all people knew how much his flames hurt.

Uraraka glanced towards the smoldering sheets and back towards the burnt hotel walls. "It sounded like you were having a nightmare. I came in to wake you up."

Katsuki felt anger boil up inside his chest, the defensive anger that he usually used to hide any emotion that anyone else could detect. Heroes didn't have night terrors. Heroes were supposed to be all-powerful, confident, and never afraid to put themselves in danger. And here he was having night terrors that scared half the floor. He had almost lit the hotel they were staying in up in flames, how hero-like.

Uraraka shuffled, "We all have our own fears, heroes are people too." She opened her mouth, closing it again. He waited, for the clique lines that he had heard already. _It's going to be okay. Talk to me. If you need anything._ She turned, letting her feet rest against the edge of the bed, "Bad things happen. They're going to keep happening. Sometimes they just don't get better. I think that's what the night terrors are. For me they come when there's been calm for a long while, it's as though my body is telling me not to let my defenses fall, someone could attack you any second. Make sure you're ready." She shook her head, "The easiest way to say this is I've almost pulverized Deku once. I woke up after a particular bad mission, the worse part? I knew it wasn't real. I knew it was a night terror, but I went around in the dark, I made everything in my house into a weapon. The chairs, the table, anything that was left out. I probably would've really hurt Deku. I don't even remember why he was at the front door, but I wasn't expecting him, so in the sense of adrenaline I threw everything at him. If it wasn't Deku? The mailman maybe?" Uraraka paused, "that's not the point. But the point is, these happen. It's normal." Uraraka explained gesturing towards the scorch marks on his bed. He nodded, "Anyway try to get some rest, we're safe here." She explained, setting the cloth down on the dresser.

He watched her leave doing his best not to glance towards her wrists, before moving into the bathroom, where a pile of burnt washcloths remained. He took a breath, doing his best to push the memories down of when he had woken up and done his best to get the afterimage of her blood off of his hands. The afterimage of the nightmares where he morphed into one of those villains and was the one who had caused her to bleed, the nightmares that caused her screams to echo in his head even after he had awoken. Even when he had gone to work that day, he could still hear the exact sound of her scream, and feel her hand wrapped around her wrist doing her best not to beg him to stop.

For all of his childhood, he had pictured that villains and heinous criminals were the worst monsters that were ever brought into existence. But right now, his own memories were those monsters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He tightened his noose the same color as his uniform and supposed to be worn on formal occasions around his neck, he glanced towards the mirror, it was the perfect way to get him killed with a sneak attack. Damn, formal occasions. Damn this stupid tie that should just properly be called what it was, a noose. And most of all damn this situation.

Katsuki scratched the back of his head doing his best not to punch the mirror in. Maybe he should go with the silk blue clip on tie instead. That way if any villains appeared they wouldn't have a pre-set up device to strangle him with.

A knock came at the door. "Deku if that's you, just let your shitty-shelf in! I know I've got to go!" He snapped. He didn't want to see Midoriya's face right not, especially when he knew that dumb Deku had already decided that he was going to lose this case. He was on the other half's side after all.

The door slid open and precautiously, Katsuki felt his shoulders relax and throw the guard up at the same time as Uraraka stepped into his hotel room. He glanced towards her wrists, a habit of his since, well, injuring her. Without need. And he would be his left foot that the news had noticed how she covered her burns the next day. "Hey, I talked to my company, they said they're working on getting you a good lawyer."

He tightened his tie. After causing a permanent scar on what the news was starting to call their combat angel, he knew he had no hope in getting a lawyer. He was planning on winging the courtroom brawl. It couldn't have been much different from the battlefield. "I'll be fine." He growled removing the tie again.

"You're planning on losing." She whispered, a look that borderlined a mixture of guilt and worry flowed through her eyes. The pain had been recurring in her eyes the way glitter stayed even after days of cleaning, there was was always an extra speck left. And in the same light, it angered him. As though each time he tried he knew there would be more.

"I don't lose. I plan on being number one and number one doesn't loose."

He could see her movements as she physically took a breath, before nodding, this wasn't a battle just for him. She was going to have to stand in the courtroom designed by residents of hell. He grinded his teeth, he didn't want to her to know the words they were going to throw at him. Not for the first time he thought about how those people who lived in the courtrooms should be required to hold positions where they would at least have to consider the possibility of being in these situations themselves. Uraraka moved her bag shuffling out so paperwork, "The case is being heard in the hero's courtroom and this is our judge." She removed a picture handing it to him. He scrutinized the picture, it was going to be hard to bite his tongue, this judge was not his favorite. And the only reason Kirishima had anything on his record. As straight forwards as Kirishima was there was absolutely no reason for him to have lost the case. But they were up against the same opponents. Same judge and same hero's-have-rights activist group.

"He's your judge, not mine. This judge wants me in jail. Especially with how I got away with tearing his house to bits."

Uraraka's eyebrows pulled together as she attempted to suppress a laugh. "You did what?" She smiled.

"I was after Kirishima's case, I was angry." He grumbled, grabbing his jacket and opening the door where Deku remained silently waiting for the two of them to remerge.

Uraraka's smile fell, and she managed to return herself back into her profession, "I hope they pay that lawyer well." She whispered.

Katsuki let his glance gaze over Deku, dressed in a traditional suit that shade of his usual color. "Going to goad for when the activists win? Ain't happening." He growled, a small smile attempted to trace its way onto Deku's lips, mostly out of nostalgia.

"I'm going to guard Uraraka, you don't know how many of those people might actually be crazy." Deku sighed. He knew. Especially after one of them punched Kirishma in the face, while on the stand, and Kirishima still lost. The media didn't say a word about that, not a single word.

"Aizawa-sensei always did hate the media, I guess it's our turn to know personally why. We should visit him soon." Uraraka sighed.

"What? Tell the old fart I'm a convict now?" Katsuki snapped, feeling the irritation accompany the sweat from the smoldering sunlight. This was not a date to be wearing a suit and tie. He wanted to be out, wearing his hero gear, patrolling, and getting his mind off of everything.

Deku shook his head, "Contrary to your belief not everyone's against you. Kaachan I'm on your side."

"The last person I believed was on my side is sitting in jail right now."

Deku took a step back, "We all liked Kirishima, but what he di-"

"He didn't do anything wrong! His sidekick was way older than we were when we first experienced anything close to danger."

"Kirishima was-"

"Stop talking like he's dead! He's sitting in jail for no fucking reason! And if you say that concussion-induced judge is anywhere near right! We both knew Kirishima! And he was trying to keep that kid out of a life of crime! And you would know this if you'd bother stop for one-half-baked second got your head out of your ass and asked around about your old classmates!" Katsuki snapped, he felt like ripping Deku's head off, right there and then. Hey, if he was going to follow Kirishima to jail for something he didn't do, why not add something he did do to the list?

Deku opened his mouth again, the blur of words he was no longer compromising, he was smarter and quicker than Deku, but after the week he was having there was no point on keeping it together. He had the right to lose it.

"You weren't the one standing there when your best friend, someone who was strong enough to keep your back in battle all of these years, put his head in his hands and bawled that he's going to jail and the only thing he's going to remember of the outside world is his kid-sidekick laying on the floor. You weren't the one who stood there unable to do anything as Kirishima pulled that boy into his broken arms and bawled. Do you know what to have someone so strong absolutely lose it in front of you? And you weren't the one who had to bury the kid not much bigger than ice-boy's is now!"

Katsuki could feel the stares, this wasn't the most strategic situation on the way to a courtroom hearing where he had been lucky enough not to be put in a cage when court wasn't in session. "Kaachan, Kaachan!" Uraraka's voice seemed so far away as she shook him off of Deku's collar.

Katsuki glanced around the rubberneckers scurrying on with their days putting their phones away before they could finish opening the camera applications. Deku's look of pity crossing his face. Disgust welled inside him, he didn't want Deku to know any of these feelings in the slightest, "Kaachan, you were there?" Deku whispered.

"I was late, okay? I was too late. The only reason Kirishima lost his case was because he believes he should be sitting in that cell."

"And you believe that you should be too." This time it was Uraraka she hadn't spoken in a while. His rage seemed to have blindsided him, forgetting that everything around him, except for his junior high punching bag and high school continuous concern. Katsuki watched the smoldering diffuse from Deku's collar. It wouldn't be good to go into the courtroom with him smoldering. He was going to lose. "Going in there isn't going to get Kirishima out."

"-"

She cut him off, "Listen to me Katsuki, listen to me well. There are various things that you still have to do from the outside, and you can't get the sources and material you need to save Kirishima from in there. Look me in the eyes and promise me, you're going to get him out. From the outside." She crossed her arms, tapping her foot. She wasn't going to let him go into the courtroom with this attitude.

Katsuki paused. She was the only other person that he truly trusted to have his back. And now way was he going to have her feeling like he did currently. "We're going to win. That's what the number one does. They win and they keep winning."

Katsuki pressed a hand against the courtroom door. "Begin Case of Hero Court. Hero: Katsuki v. Hero's Rights Committee."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Katsuki was growing impatient. He couldn't sit still and listen to the banter of how it was possibly like out on the battlefield, the what-if scenarios, and the decisions they would have personally made.

"The report states that the Uravity was awake enough to decide for herself if this was right, but then contradicts itself in stating that if Uravity would have lost any more blood she would be on her deathbed, would anyone consider these statements contradictory, your honor?"

Katsuki felt his foot move of its own accord, rapidly beating against the floor. His lawyer, presented by Uravity's firm as one of their best, turned to him, "Sir, you're going to have to seem more open. And frankly friendlier, Uravity did fill me in on this is part of your personality, but they don't understand that."

Contradicting to his mind, his body reacted, sitting slightly straighter doing his best to uncross his legs. Uraraka was right, if his goal was to get Kirishima out, going in there wouldn't do any good for either of them. Likely it would only upset Kirishima more. His lawyer stood straight shuffling through papers, "On contrary, the report states that our client demonstrated his best with his lack of medical knowledge to make up for the resources they did not have or know where coming-"

"Your honor, if I may cut in! This man has been constantly battle-thirsty from even before he had his hero license"

His lawyer paused then looked at the judge again, "May I continue where I was before I was interrupted out of turn?"

The judge casts looks amongst them, stopping on Katsuki, likely remembering the night after Kirishima's case closed, a hand around his collar. "You may"

"As I was saying, the interruption only advancing my point, my client has the high tendency to make sure he's on the vanguard, after going to various battles he usually keeps his allies towards the back as he vanguards faster than he should be. I continue my point with the fact that in several interviews back a reporter had asked about women on the battlefield mentioning Uravity as an example-"

"Your honor that has nothing to do with this!"

The judge held up their hand, "It may not, but I wish to see the point."

The interview clicked on the screen. Katsuki in uniform just finishing the job looking beaten, bloody, and tired. "Sir, sir. A moment please!" The reporter scrambled their way up to him, one of the brave few to dare to approach him. After seeing several reporters draw away from him unless they wanted to make an article about his unnecessary and unhero-like attitude it made him curious and disgusted. The questions he was presented with surprised and intrigued him, he was the last person he would've thought to ask about the political nature of things going on during that time, "Sir, what do you think about female heroes on the battlefield?"

"Huh? What's the point of that question?" He snapped. Katsuki glanced at the video clip playing on the board for the whole courtroom to see, his heart sank. He didn't remember much after that.

The cameraman was shaking, clearly upset by his constant nature, the reporter held their ground a smile growing on their face, "Let me rephrase, what do you think about weaker heroes such as Uravity?"

"Huh? Weaker? Don't base your truths on something you've only heard."

The video cut out. "I don't understand how this relates to the case, your honor!" The other side of the courtroom stated.

His lawyer slammed his hands against the desk, silencing the courtroom, "the only reason Uravity was on the front lines with the other two means that she's acknowledged by both of these heroes in her strength."

Katsuki glanced towards the judge, bags under their eyes. They had grown older, concerned, and scared; like the rest of them.

The other side of the court began to argue again, "As I was saying this child, barely a man yet, is battle-thirsty and constantly the first to throw himself into battle, these decisions were not made with thoughts, they were made on impulses and we sit here today considering if he would do it again. What if it had been a bystander that got hit? How would he know exactly how much heat to use? The scar is likely at least a layer or two deep, what if he had hit one of the villains with such a powerful blast?"

His lawyer motioned to speak again, the judge nodded, "The opposing side wished to portray my client as a battle addict the way a drug addict would beg for the slightest cocaine, am I correct?"

The opposing side glanced towards the judge for permission to speak, "With more professional words I would say you are correct."

The lawyer flipped several pages on the desk, "In turn if you flip to page thirty-six of the report we received from not any of the heroes, villains, or companies, but the medical personnel that arrived at the scene because of several reports of a neighboring ruckus from the concerned campers you will discover that the hero titled 'Deku' is the one standing outside the cave. Now question why that is?" His lawyer paused, letting the information sink in and process in the courtroom. "That is because my client does more than thirst for battle, he thinks. Which is something that everyone in this courtroom should be doing right now. With the three who have been on a constant shift since their appearance being trapped in the courtroom for the world to watch I'm sure the police are running themselves ragged to keep up with every villain, robber, and treacherous deed that has popped into someone's mind."

"Please keep your personally worries out of the courtroom, Lawyer Hendrick."

"Sir, as I was saying, these were not decisions that were made without any thought."

The hero's right's activist lawyer spoke again, "Even if these decisions were made with thought your client had no idea what he was doing and if the hero Uravity developed an infection her life would've plummeted in more danger than it was previously."

His lawyer flipped another two pages, "After checking out of the hospital and into the new firm the hero of explosions, nicknamed explosion for short as he was not very good at picking names, requested additional medical training." His lawyer paused, his voice wasn't a constant raging noise nor was it ravenous, but it felt as though the lawyer understood exactly where to keep the tone, "in the medical training Explosion would occasionally ask questions that seemed off to the professor such as how to check for infections and how to treat burns of all degrees. The professor made sure to report each strange occurrence to the company in turn the company seemed to understand his concerns and requested special supplementary course that would not be available typically to a hero. My client has the medical training and licenses of a high-ranking doctor from one of the most prestigious hospitals in the state."

He glanced towards the other side of the courtroom, huffing their chests, "That was after his mistakes, fearing that he could get backlash."

His lawyer flipped another page, "Of course it was, he's not a stupid man. But most of all, I don't think you recognize this man's personality, he's fiercely overprotective of his previous classmates. And this in his personality is demonstrated all the way back in high school where you will find several reports of him pushing his classmates away and giving them chances to escape when he thought they were really in danger. If Uravity wound up with an infection that was possible his fault he was going to make sure to take care of it."

Katsuki felt himself open his mouth, his nature pouring out ready to deny the accusation, his lawyer continued instead "When this case was first considered being open, the police had managed to get a warrant for a raid by being provided with false information, instead of finding a large drug bust they had been hoping for instead they found a rather large bag of painkillers and various other products that were used to help people with infections, a rather long list of hospitals that treated infection well, our client asleep on a book highlighter in hand, and several paragraphs that were highlighted on how to determine infection and how to cure."

"He had burned the wound shut before this medical knowledge, how do you plan to defend that? Explosion had little medical knowledge and his personality traits are written in his name."

"My client had decided to save Uravity's life with the best of his medical knowledge and judgment, if we refer ourselves to the medical section of evidence B we'll find that the medical staff were surprised at both the lack of injuries on the villains and my client's ability to treat Uraraka's wound, she was unconscious but not dehydrated."

The judge held up a hand silencing the room, "I've heard enough out of the both of you, from my understanding Uravity is here herself." Katsuki felt Uraraka's presence shuffle, she was smart enough not to sit directly behind him, but make sure she was close enough she could hear the actions in the courtroom. "You may come forwards."

Her heels seemed to echo repeatedly through the quiet courtroom, he dreaded having them in here, in the place that took Kirishima from the world. "What is your perspective of this scenario?"

Uraraka took a breath, and in a moment she was no longer goofy Uraraka, she was Uravity. Powerful, strong, and exerting a presence that not many could argue with. "I've known him since we were in high school. Now he doesn't seem that easy to get along with, but he's always thinking, sometimes too much. But this court case isn't about him as I would like to think the room believes currently nor is it about advancing and protecting the rights and laws of heroes. No, this case isn't about either of those things." Uravity kept the judge's eye contact before moving to the person representing the heroes' right's group. "It's about me. If I were angry with him for making this decision I will talk it out with him myself, now I would appreciate if you wouldn't make my heroes license that I fought tooth and nail for less value than a piece of plastic."

A smile cracked on his face, there was no hiding away that this woman was a powerful hero. He had his bets in high school that she would become a great hero one day and he was reaping the money in.

The judge held his hand up nodding, before Uravity took her seat now behind him, where the rest of the audience mostly rubberneckers had been too afraid to sit. "I've made my decision." There was a pause, the judge that was letting Kirishima suffer in jail swept their barren wastelands over him, then glanced at Uravity, and back to the activist group. Which on the contrary to their title was pulling a hero in the court every couple months. Katsuki felt his heart drop unable to comprehend the words that slipped from the judge's mouth, "He's free to go."

An uproar of arguments exploded from the other side of the courtroom as he stared at the floor, he was already preparing a letter to send to his mother, a 'sorry but don't look for me' kind of letter, he couldn't hear anything. It was as though in that moment he had gone Deaf. Not a single word made sense, the irate argument from the activist group or Uraraka tackling the lawyer then excitedly telling him that he was going to be okay.

His ears rang the way they had when he once set an explosion off in a cave. He didn't remember walking out to the flashing lights or Deku moving next to him, his now slightly larger form blocking cameras that were praying for his arrest so they could get the big scoop.

And then he was there, a bottle of whiskey in hand, staring at the county graveyard of the school he had attended. Katsuki let his feet drag him up the hill towards the tomb, brushing it off, dirt and leaves removing themselves with a sweep of his hand. He set the whiskey down along with several other cups in front of the grave, " _Here lies Aizawa Shouta, probably still in his sleeping bag."_

Katsuki cracked the bottle open pouring two glasses, "I wasn't fucking scared, you know."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

That night his dreams were blank, empty, a relief. For once he wasn't haunted by various scenarios morphing into worse scenarios. Katsuki rolled over pulling a drawer where Kirishima's photo stayed, a photo of three. It was him, Kirishima, and his late-sidekick. Katsuki glanced at the clock, nearing on one in the morning the day after the court had decided that his decisions weren't in the wrong. He pressed his feet against the floor. He should probably make dinner since he was still up.

Katsuki glanced through the cabinets, a box of cereal, a leftover poptart, and several other ingredients that he wasn't quite interested in. He set the supplies back down glancing towards Kirishima's picture. From a happier time. He moved to the cutting board. The strumming sounds bringing back memories from high school, the recollection of surprised looks he received when the other students discovered he knew how to cook almost made him laugh, almost.

The person in the next room over was shuffling around their room the soft buzzing of the television keeping their steps barely audible. Apparently, he wasn't the only one unable to sleep tonight.

Hot food it would be then. Maybe she wouldn't mind a midnight snack. Several minutes and ingredients later he was standing at Uraraka's front door. He found himself knocking repeatedly, receiving estrange looks from the hotel's staff. "I know you're not asleep."

He found himself surprised that he actually expected her to come to the door, but no luck. He turned to go back to his room, an ominous feeling lingering in his atmosphere. Uraraka typically wasn't that quiet.

His foot spun back to the room on its own, "Look, I made dinner and I'm not going to waste this shit!" He snapped sending a louder knock against the door, a "shhh" from a brave employee while another tried to knock some sense into them as they dragged them away from this particular hall. Silence. He burned the lock open to find Uraraka standing at the balcony. He felt his shoulders relax, so she was okay after all.

" _It happens, it's normal, I usually get confused at first, I know it's not real but-"_ Katsuki glanced at Uraraka, hands on the edge of the balcony, tears streaming down her face.

Upon noticing him she stuttered incorrigible words, her voice mute on his ears, he dropped the food. He found himself moving before he could think, an instinct instilled in him since before he had managed to retrieve his hero's license. He struggled to make it a crossed the room, various utensils being left estrange a crossed the floor. Katsuki reached out towards her, missing her ankle.

Katsuki pressed his foot against the railing applying more pressure on the railing. The hotel had been quite boisterous about it's ability to handle all types of people and accommodate for all quirks. He was going to put them to the test, he sent another surge of force onto the railing, before standing on it, "I trusted you" he held out his arms.

Uraraka looked towards the three-story drop, glancing at him, then back towards the ground, "I-"

She released her quirk, slamming into his arms. Katsuki sat them on the balcony porch, back to the wall, scrutinizing the room. Various obstacles around the hotel room, the unkempt bed, and knives decorating the floor. He pulled her closer insistent on making sure that it was the control of her powers, his brain ran through scenarios and the words he was supposed to say, _"You're safe here.", "it's okay"_ not a single phrase seeming to quite fit the way he was feeling.

"Were you going to jump?"

She paused glancing at him, before her gaze settled with glancing around the room that was in shambles, "It seems that way, doesn't it?" She began unwrapping herself from his arms. "I, I just had a bad dream. Besides when I fell I went up instead of down." She forced a laugh out before walking over towards the food he had scattered a crossed her doorway.

Katsuki let his hand curl into a fist and uncurl again, she had never said that nightmares accompanied the loss of control of quirks. He glanced towards her wrists. He let the back of his head rest on the balcony. She didn't need to. He glanced down towards the world below. Laughter drifting through the wind, "hey, there's a beach down there."

Uraraka nodded finishing cleaning the food off of the floor and reaching for the knives she had scattered around the room. Katsuki took a breath scooping up the rest of the knives and throwing them in the dishwasher. "Thanks" She whispered, glancing at the floor. Whatever that emotion was that was glowing in the back of her eyes it pissed him off, he didn't want to see it. He grabbed her wrist dragging her out of the door. "Kaachan? Where are we going?" She asked as he locked their doors.

"I said there's a beach down there."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The fact that she hadn't answered him disturbed Katsuki. A contrasting scene unfolded before him which was cause for his struggle to suppress a ridiculous laughter. The woman with the ability to control gravity was clinging to the edge of the cart, her fingers changing colors as the fear of the several hundred-feet drop cycled through her eyes, "I thought we were going to try flying." Laughter edged on his voice more than he expected to allow, she shot him a look. She was likely intent on his murder at this rate.

"Get us out of here."

The contrast was ridiculous. She wasn't afraid of him, the guy who could shoot fire from his pores, but she was afraid of the metallic carnival ride where even if she fell between the two of them they could fly. "Sure," He jiggled the lock, her hand slamming around his wrist.

"Don't." She hissed. He had only reached for the lock to see her reaction, the adrenaline rushing through his wrist was begging him, _daring him,_ to bust open that lock and drag her out: watch facial expressions he had never seen before, the wind tussling in her hair, listen to her screams bubble into laughter as they fell.

His eyes were betraying the amount of self-control he had established as they scrutinized the pier; analyzing the likelihood that someone would call the cops, that anyone from the hero organization would report them for misuse of their own powers, or endangering the locals.

Fuck it.

His hands moved with a burst of irrationality that he knew he wouldn't be able to explain to himself in the future, he undid the lock pushing the door open in the process, "Ka- no!" Her gasping voice unable to escape its cage as he wrapped his arms around her waist leaning back with enough force causing the two of them to fall. Uraraka tightened her grip around him, "Stupid!" She shouted shutting her eyes.

"If you don't look we really will hit that concrete." His voluminous laughter echoed into the sky; the rush of sea breeze flying through his hair. Uraraka slid her eyes open widening as she glanced at ocean illuminating stars dancing a crossed the water. Something he hadn't seen on her face in a while painted its way onto her face, her eyes glittered as the monopolized the ocean view.

Katsuki let his shoes feel the pressure of the boardwalk before letting Uraraka go, "You're crazy." She laughed, tears running from her eyes as she struggled to hide the smile that was fighting its way into the open.

Katsuki felt an annoyance swell inside him, he could hear the likely irate employee charging towards them their heavy footsteps vibrating against the boardwalk, "Hey! You!" he turned to shout back at the employee.

Uraraka's hand wrapping around his wrist, "Run!" Her shout laced with laughter as she dragged him down the boardwalk weaving in-between the few people that were managing to be awake at this time. She glanced over her shoulder, passed him, a goofy smile radiating on her face.

"We should be getting back." She sighed glancing towards the hotel, he could almost make out which room was hers by the damage he had done to the railing. He glanced in-between the hotel and her fading smile.

He took charge of her hold around his wrist, "Not yet. Nobody's going to miss us in their sleep." He let his eyes scavenge through the huts on the edge, the gluttons for money, and that's what they were going to get tonight. They were going to get every single penny and speck of dirt out of his pockets tonight. This woman was the reason he wasn't sitting in jail right now and she was the catalyst for his search to gather evidence on Kirishima's innocence. He was going to make sure this woman kept her smile until she fell asleep.

It wasn't until the sun was on the verge of rising and they found it impossible to wipe the smiles off of their faces that they trailed up the hotel room stairs, to find Deku at the top floor.

"Where have you two been?" Deku snapped, leaning against the wall in-between the hotel rooms.

"We were out." Katsuki replied, he didn't deserve that tone, especially from Deku.

"Uraraka, where were you?" Deku's voice lightened, but still carried its uncharacteristically heavy tone.

"I-"

"I want to-"  
Katsuki found that he was surprised at his own actions. He was sure he had weeded the bad habits out of his personality, but apparently not, considering the fact that he was staring at his own hand wrapped around Deku's collar, "She ain't your family and she ain't your girlfriend, she doesn't have to check in with you."

He watched as darkness made laps in Deku's eyes, Deku clamping an arm around his wrist, "No, she's not. I'm asking where you both were. I came up here to a broken lock, what seems to be a fight, and both of you missing." Katsuki blinked noticing the dark circles underneath Deku's eyes and the tapping of a folder against his side. Katsuki felt his mouth opening, readying a retort out of instinct, Deku sending a glare, growing brave enough to cut him off, "We're a team, and teams communicate." Deku hissed shoved a folder in his hands before trudging down the hallway, shutting his hotel room door with more force than appropriate for five o'clock in the morning.

Katsuki let his hand relax on the paperwork, if Deku was still up to give this information to him there had to be a reason. "You can stay in my room, I'll sleep on the couch." Uraraka nodded hurriedly grabbing her things from the room with the burnt lock. She settled into the room rapidly, likely also thrown off by Deku's behavior. Katsuki moved into the room, glancing between his bed, the couch, the bar, and the folder that he held in his hand. He settled into a chair at the bar. Uraraka padding around behind him. "I said I'll sleep on the couch."

"It's okay, besides Deku's already mad enough at us as it is." She muttered.

"He can't expect you to sleep in a room with a burnt lock." Katsuki found himself talking on auto-pilot as he shuffled through the paperwork that Deku had deemed worthy enough to wake either of them up at three or four o'clock in the morning for.

"I know he'd rather I'd talk to him first."

"Don't worry about him." The words were supposed to be more reassuring than forceful, but he knew his own personality well. Right now what was important was these papers sitting on the table. A puzzle of nonsense. After several more minutes of attempting to figure out what nonsense Deku had brought him he finally spotted something of remote interest. He plucked the pictures out of the pile. Deku shouldn't have legally been able to get a hole of this information. Katsuki suppressed the need to burn Deku's door down for the paperwork in his hands: the information the jail kept on Kirishima.

He ran his hand over the paperwork, this wasn't a copy. It was embossed. He turned back to the mass of papers laid out a crossed the bar. Articles and lists of gangs that had been involved with Kirishima's sidekick before he had found him. The kid had become clean. Katsuki found himself searching for answers he wasn't sure he would find. He knew what he wanted to see, had come to the conclusion that Deku had given him something. All of those years of analysis and writing those stupid notebooks there was no way this mass of paperwork was a harmless bunch of nonsense.

Tapping his foot against the bar he was sure he had read each piece of paperwork twice, front and back. He wasn't finding anything. The likelihood that Deku was finally plotting his revenge from all of those years of abuse rising in the back of his head. He had known Deku for some time and while Deku was capable of that, he was sure that Deku wouldn't go through with it. It had been years since they had really violently fought, Deku had managed to learn to protect himself and not break himself, they had been standing on equal footing. If Deku wanted to dispute something with him, he knew how to do it. This paperwork couldn't have been sabotage, there was something here. He had read them until he had gone cross-eyed.

"Kaachan? Have you been here the whole night?" A soft whisper came from over his shoulder, he glanced towards Uraraka her hair askew and seeming to contain more exhaustion than before she went to sleep.

"Not long, what time is it?"

"Nearly seven-thirty."

He ran a hand into his hair, ripping several knots apart, before attempting to heat the muscles in the back of his neck hoping that they wouldn't cramp. Uraraka reached over his shoulder scooping up paperwork, "Is this our next case?" Their organizations had been putting them together frequently, Uraraka had mentioned it to her organization, more of a public show then anything. To reinforce the point she had made.

She scanned the document over as he did his best not to snatch the documents back, stuff them all into the folder again, and shred them. He watched as her eyes gazed over towards where his photo stood next to his bed then back towards the article.

"What?" He snapped.  
"Did that kid have a brother?"

"No, he was an only child. He had lost most of his family to gang violence."

"This guy in the background," Uraraka set the photo on the bar again, pointing towards the alley in the background near the drug deal that was being busted, the teen watching over the deal, "I would hypothesize that's what he would look like if he was any older."

He glanced down towards the photo, the kid had been in a gang before deciding to follow Kirishima and become a hero. "Couldn't be, the photo's date is way after the kid passed."

"I wonder why Deku would give this to you." She muttered, moving to the kitchen sink as she begun to brew caffeinated beverages and scavenge in the hotel's fridge. "Invite him over. I'm sure by now he'll be ready to talk to us." She suggested as he continued to move through the pictures. He wasn't ready to talk to Deku and having this paperwork was only reinforcing that feeling.

Katsuki flipped through several more photos, he had seen them dozens and dozen of times, half of these photos and documentations were information that he had piled and collected in drawers back in his own room at home. Unless. Deku thought he was missing something. He set the pictures next to each other, staring at the information until he could feel it burn into his eyes. The man who had stood in the alleyway appearing repeatedly in any pictures the following month after Kirishima was sentenced to imprisonment. Katsuki knew what it meant. He knew he was in denial. That boy was alive.

Rage that refused to quell blazed inside his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Impulse control, it was the one thing he prided himself on. He knew his classmates hadn't thought he had an ounce of it in his body, and maybe right now he didn't. If he had as much as he prided himself for then he wouldn't of been pounding on Deku's door, Uraraka doing her best to pry him off of it. "Deku, get your ass out here!"

Katsuki clenched his fist managing to keep himself from burning down the door or ripping it open when he finally opened the door, "How the hell did you get ahold of these?"

Deku turned back into the room steadily heading into the kitchen where he was already preparing three mugs, "You're not the only one worried about Kirishima, the whole class is, and you'd be surprised what you can do when you don't have all of the guard's collars wrapped in your fist."

"It was only half of them! I needed answers."

"And we're getting there. The problem is he's already convicted, meaning everyone but the one's who know him think he's a cold-blooded murderer."

"He's not-" Katsuki was ready to rip Deku's head off and not just metaphorically. He was wrap his hands around Deku's neck, Uraraka arms wrapped around his shoulders slamming him back into his senses.

"We know that, but we have to prove that to the world."

Katsuki took a breath struggling to calm himself, he knew that already. But why should he have to prove to the damn world that Kirishima was innocent? Why wasn't the world looking for the boy's actual killer? What the hell did he owe the world that hadn't given him anything, but was taking and taking from him?

"You don't owe the world anything. But we need to do this for Kirishma." He glanced towards Deku, "We understand you're frustrated right now, but don't you think the rest of us feel the same?"

"Why do you have these?" He knew he didn't sound like someone who prided himself on impulse control, nor did he seem to act as such through a first glance, but right now impulse-control was the last thing he had on his mind.

Deku's face scrunched as though he was staring at a patient who was in denial of their broken arm, "That kid's alive, and he set Kirishima up."

Katsuki paused, letting the information sink in. The last thing Kirishima had seen was the kid's lifeless body, the reason he was sitting in jail, he had buried the kid himself. "This joke isn't funny." The words left in a smooth growl before his brain could even completely process the irritation that was steadily rising within his skull.

"I'm serious."

"You're going to have to prove it with more than just these papers, I have several hours of my life screaming that you're wrong." Deku was going to need some evidence to prove that he was right, such as a body, still kicking and screaming. "While you play with the fanatical idea of a person being brought back to life I'm going to find the kid's killer." Katsuki swung on his heel storming down the stairs, the only thing that surprised him in the entire conversation was the fact that Uraraka was steadily trailing after him. "If you're going to complain or tell me that I need to apologize to Deku, then you can chuck that idea in the garbage heap."

Uraraka shook her head, "You know, we should consider the possibility of a shape shift though."

He nodded that was information he was already working on, he also needed to process if there were currently shapeshifters with the quirk to copy other people right down to their DNA and their memories, he needed to know how extravagant this was.

"If the kid were alive, considering the fact that Kirishima, who was the most honest and straight forwards out of all of us, is the one sitting in jail now, and the fact that his trial was the quickest one I had ever seen, do you think that he was set up? And who would've done such a thing to him?"

Katsuki took a staggered breath, right now he didn't know, but he would. He would have the kid's killer take Kirishima's place and he would find who had set Kirishima up.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Spending hours pouring through the unnecessary documents that the government kept was never his forte. Even when he was in school he only dug through the boxes when he had to, not that he didn't understand it, heck they used the simplistic language and grammar structure he could've thought of. It was the fact that the work was incredibly tedious, especially when he didn't know exactly what he was looking for. He felt his shoulder muscle relax at the sound of Uraraka shuffling through the files behind him. "I'm surprised that you got us in here."

"I know some people." She muttered without breaking focus on the paperwork in front of her, she was in a rush, likely they weren't supposed to be in here. And they hadn't gotten the proper clearances to come into the room. He knew he didn't want a criminal record, but he wasn't going to have the person who had thrown Kirishima in jail hiding the evidence or paperwork that would help release him from his false incrimination. "What was the exact charge that Kirishima was put in for? If he's in for the wrong charge then we-"

"He shouldn't be in jail at all."  
"The kid was underage, he was going to up at least with a fine and have his hero license revoked."

"The circumstances were what was important, he got that kid out of a bad situation."

"And the court would say that he should've handled it in a different way, not launching the kid back into that same dangerous situation except on an opposite viewpoint."

"I-"

Uraraka sorted through several more sheets of paperwork, glancing towards the printer before setting several documents to the side, "What I'm saying is that we can probably get his sentence reduced to at most a month from now, if he was sentenced to jail for murder and not for having an under-aged sidekick."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, that's exactly what Kirishima was in for he wasn't sure why they were searching around in unnecessary documents when he knew the truth, "You say this like you're positive"

"I've spoken with a professional, you think I would illegally dig around in these documents without something to back me up?" She muttered causing his grip on the folder he was holding to get tighter. That's exactly what he was doing, he had seemingly lost his idea of composure and not managed to fight off the impulse to dig through all of this paperwork in order to save Kirishima.

"You what?"

"Do you remember your lawyer? Well, I figured Kirishima's going to need another one and he did an excellent job, he's going to need to know this information too."

"There's nothing he can do with information he didn't get legally."

"Well, he needs a place to start. And then places such as news articles websites and various other documents he's able to reference. He'll find something."

Katsuki glanced towards Uraraka, pushing hair back to over her shoulder, revealing the scar that stretched to her neck likely subconsciously trying to hide it, "I'll trust him. But only this time because I owe him one."

Something in the documents had made her uncomfortable, the scar wasn't the only thing he had given her. He tightened his hands on the documents, habits and insecurities. "I'll make copies and make sure these are put back." She explained hustling the printer before hurriedly putting the documents back, "Surveillance photoage needs to be taking care of yet and we're good to go."

Katsuki flicked lit a flame on his fingers, examining the documents, "It's already taken care of." He scooped the documents into his arms brushing her fingertips. His fingers buzzed in response pleading with his brain to draw her back in. He shook his head, he didn't have time for nonsense that an average citizen would have indulged themselves into. He was busy working as one of the best heroes in the city and trying to get his best friend out of jail. He let his head lean against the seat watching Uraraka get into the driver's seat, surprised at himself that he didn't find the need to drive.

The seeing double from all of his overtime work to break even on the hours he had missed was probably a high contributing factor. "He's going to fine." Uraraka muttered keying the car before attempting to move into traffic. He watched her movements transfer from a girl who was making a get away from robbing a bank to driving as though she had belonged there within seconds.

"Did you want to get dinner?" He glanced towards her waiting for her reaction, she was thinking the situation over.

"I'd like to, but I promised Deku that I would meeting him later." Uraraka shook her head slowing for a light.

Figures that it'd be Deku, he glanced towards the outside not quite looking past the window. He was only being considerate since they had spent most of the last two days together and dinner from three days ago was likely still on that hotel room floor. But something left a terrible taste in his mouth, maybe he would cook for himself tonight just to be safe.

"Can you drop me off somewhere?"

"You couldn't read half of those papers in there. Are you sure it's safe for you to be anywhere by yourself?" She had noticed, no wonder she had taken the initiative and claimed the driver's seat before he could return to the vehicle.

"I want to visit Kirishima."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"When's the last time you slept?"

Katsuki looked up, it was surprising to hear the man who was sitting in jail to fake a such a legit tone.

"I figured I'd stop by." Katsuki glanced at the floor, what was he supposed to talk about? It felt uncomfortable similar to a hospital visit, the reason he avoided them. Uncomfortable silences just weren't part of his personality.

"I'm going to be worried when you leave. I'm sure you can find a hotel to stay." Kirishima turned to his guard behind him shouting questions about any near hotels that Katsuk could walk to.

"I don't need it."

"You'll crash the car! See! You're already sleeping!"

"Uraraka's driving."

Kirishima paused visible surprise glowing on his face, as he lowered back into his chair, "I-" He paused, seemingly dumbfounded on words to say.

"Spit it out."

"I always thought she would get together with Midoriya."

"She did." Katsuki paused, another glance at the desk, jump of the knee.

"So, you think. Man, this might be weird from a guy in a cell, but you're my best friend, I can tell."

"Wh-"

"She's not with Midoriya, you're telling yourself that because you don't want to admit that you like her."

"You haven't been here for five minutes."

"But you're not denying it." Kirishima smirked, Katsuki hadn't risen from his seat or blown up at him maybe he wanted to talk about it afterall, "So you came here for dating advice."

"No, Deku thinks you were set-up-"

Kirishima glanced at him, "Those bags better not be because of me, I'm sitting here for a reason. I messed up."

"It wasn't-"

"It's not any different. Now I haven't spoken with anyone outside this joint in at least a year, gossip with me man."

Katsuki felt a false sense of relief wash over him, he knew better than to let someone control the situation, but Kirishima had always had that effect on him. For the next hour he let Kirishima lead the conversation, drawing information from the outside world out of him. The guard occasionally scolding Kirishima for his feet on the desk.

"You did that?" Kirishima's laugh bellowed around the cube, the guard shuffled behind him, his visiting length had ended five minutes ago. "You better go before my guards get in trouble."

Katsuki glanced towards the door, Kirishima had controlled the entire conversation and he let him, he wasn't able to talk about what he wanted. "And Uraraka better be driving like you promised." Kirishima waved, acknowledged his guard with a brief thank you before attempting a wave and exiting the room. The flash of silver cuffs on Kirishima's wrists activating the disgust within him. He was going to save Kirishima from this false imprisonment.

"Sir! Sir!"

Katsuki glanced over his shoulder, a guard running at him, "You dropped this." A lunchbox shoved into his hands.

"It ain't mine. Go find someone with a kid." He wouldn't be caught dead with a lunch box with Deku's face plastered a crossed it.

"Sir, I'm sure it's important to you, please don't bring personal items again."

"I'm telling you-"

The guard scurried away before he could finish his sentence. He would just find the child and return it. Katsuki turned heading to the car, "Did Kirishima give you that?" Uraraka glanced at the mirror, questions displayed visibly as he slid into the backseat buckling in the process.

"The guards seemed confused. Hopefully the kid has their name in it." Katsuki clicked the box open beginning to shuffle in the box. Instead of being met with food he was met with paperwork, hopefully he would be able to find the kid's test or homework with their name on it. Papers crammed to the corners of the box, Katsuki picked the papers up expecting to find test in substitution he was met with excessively detailed plans on Kirishima being thrown into jail. Katsuki scooped up more papers.

The lead he needed was literally just shoved into his hands. Maybe there was something else-the next paper had Uravity at the top. He wasn't holding evidence in his hands, he was holding a list of targets. He glanced towards Uraraka, "Stop the car-"

A pickup truck swerved towards them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Her fingers were prying into his arm shaking him. He had a major headache and if his mind wasn't insistent on sleeping he would've told Uraraka to either turn that damn air up or crack a window. But that didn't make sense, who was driving if her fingers were clawing into his arm?

She let go her presence moving away, he felt liquid trickle down his head, an entourage of images bombarding him. He slid his eyes open attempting to recollect where he was. He felt the one time he had a concussion and they sent Kirishima into get him to stop fighting. He had been fighting everyone who approached not quite understanding what they were saying. If they were brave enough to approach him first then they had to be an enemy. What a great train of thought, well, decent one for someone with a concussion. But there wasn't a Kirishima here right now, but he didn't remember being on the battlefield.

Uraraka was pulling the driver from their tipped-over vehicle dragging them to over to next to him. She was making a line of people, getting them out of the line of traffic before the traffic worsened, or at least gathering people to treat. He pressed a hand against the ground struggling to get up with the world tilting sideways, "fuck"

"Katsuki! You're awake, thank god." She smiled, setting the driver of the opposing vehicle down next to them, "I'll be right back I need to make sure there was no one else in there." Her foot twisted beginning to walk away as he pressed his hand into the dirt, cursing his body at its refusal to move.

"Damn it." His body was refined, he was covered in muscle, there was no reason that he shouldn't of been able to move. He had felt more force in his life then a simple car crash, he glared at the unconscious man next to him, planning on shaking him awake for causing the crash. She came back rather uneventfully, contrary to what his brain was trying to tell him. His thoughts rushing a crossed as incorrigible words the feeling similar to what he would've thought static felt like. He tried pushing himself up again, he was getting aggravated at his body's refusal to listen to him, and his arm refusing to support his body to stand.

"I think you have a concussion, I've already called an ambulance." She whispered upon noticing his irritation.

He rolled over, taking a breath, something was nagging him, "Where's the box I was holding?" That stupid metallic box with Deku's face on it had to be important.

"I grabbed it." She said opening the box, giving it a quick scan before shutting the box again. A soft popping sound came from her car several feet in front of them.

He nodded before sending another glare towards the driver of the opposing vehicle the information rushing back to him, "stay away from him."

"He must've passed out while driving, he's not dangerous."

"You don't know that. Get back." Katsuki coughed as she helped him sit up. He bit his tongue struggling to not snap that he could do it himself. His arms had already proved that he couldn't and provided a sense of vertigo to emphasis their point. The people who were coming after them were smart, they didn't have to kill a hero to get the hero to disappear. Katsuki glanced down towards the person lying there, "Is he still breathing?"

Uraraka nodded. Good. That's one thing off of his checklist, he glanced towards the lights echoing in the horizon. "About time, Kirishima's going to think I was the one driving."

"I'll tell him the truth."

"He knows what shape I'm in, he's not going to believe you, he'll think you're just defending me."

"He's just going to be worried." Uraraka said starting to throw his arm over her shoulder as she instructed the ambulance crew for the other person. She lifted him up as he felt his breakfast burn up his throat. He took a breath struggling to make sure it didn't making its way up. A concussion it was.

He wasn't sure how he had gotten there. But he knew it wasn't one of his favorite places, just by being here, he knew he was going to be required to take a couple days off from work. His head felt like someone swung a two-by-four at it, with what he knew the likelihood of that was pretty high. A nurse walked into the room, mentioning a hello before sorting medicine which he was pretty sure was going to be meant for him in a second.

"Can someone come help me?" The nurse called out of the room, before another person, slightly buffer came in, "I just want to give him his medicine but for the last several days he's been fighting us tooth-and-nail, and let me tell you his quirk isn't easy to fight. He's already burned up three bed sheets, the curtains, and a medicine bottle." The nurse shook her head as he sat up glancing around the room.

"Just give me the damn stuff." He held out his hand, she visibly jumped as he reached for it. "I ain't a wuss, I'll just take the damn stuff, where's Uraraka?"

The nurse set the medicine in his hand like she was trying to defuse a bomb with barely any time left to go. He swallowed the medicine, glaring at the nurse and waiting for the answer to his question, "where's Uraraka?"

The nurse glanced towards her assistant, "Who's Uraraka?"

"Apparently it was the girl who was driving."

"Sir, you have a concussion, you should probably just focus on resting." The nurse scratched her neck, her shoes giving away the fact that she was preparing to leave the room.

"Where the hell is she?" He snapped throwing the blankets off, the vertigo crashing into him like the ocean preparing a tsunami. He let his body drop to the floor, gravity pressuring him forwards.

The assistant went to lurch for him to put him back in bed, the nurse pulling the assistant back, "He's got a fire-type quirk, stay back." She scolded.

"This wouldn't of happened if you just told him where she is."

"If he knew this would've happened anyway. It happened last time we told him. But last time we told him, he went on a rampage, it took four doctors and half of the security staff to sedate him."

"You know I can hear you and those words don't make me very pleased. Where is she?"

"She's in court for causing that car crash." Deku was leaning in the doorway.

"She didn't cause it, that pick-up truck swerved for us."

"Kaachan, you have a concussion, just get back in bed." Deku sighed trying to push him back, Katsuki swatted his hand off of his shoulder.

"Then why are you here and not there?"

"Her request, she had heard that you've been given the nurses a hard time. Half of them are terrified of you, the only reason this one is in here is because her quirk is water-coating, but lately you've started evaporating that too."

"If they'd just give me a damn explanation, I'd listen. I do have a doctor's license."

"If that were the truth you wouldn't be putting your coat on right now."

"They're liars, and she didn't cause the damn car crash if you'd just listen to me."

"They're not going to believe someone with a concussion and they're going to consider that you have motive to get her out."

"It was the middle of the night, there were no witnesses, she pulled both of us out of the vehicles." Katsuki was reaching his boiling point with Deku, there was only so much stupid that he could handle at this point. He needed to get to that courtroom, someone was pulling the strings.

Deku hooked a hand around Katsuki's arm, "Listen. Stop fighting them and I'll go back to the courtroom."

Katsuki let his feet draw him to the bed, he was going to fight his way out of here the minute Deku left. He sat down, sending a glare towards Deku, "Don't you let them twist the story for a damn second. You better know there will be hell to pay if she goes to jail for something she didn't do too."

"Sir, you have a concussion, you don't understand what happened, you-"

"I believe you. And you bet that they're will be hell to pay."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** **Sorry guys I generally haven't been doing author's notes for feeling like it interrupts the flow of the story, but I've got a couple things to say! First, I'm SO SORRY! I know it's been over a month since I've updated there is an explanation on my profile page of why that is. And also I had to reread what happened so far!**

 **General Summarization: The Activist group for Hero Right's keeps dragging people to court, Kirishima is falsely in jail for the murder of his sidekick when it's actually just having an underaged side-kick, our Kaachan narrowly escaped having to be in there too, after** **some research went and visited Kaachan, on the drive home they [Uraraka & Katsuki] got into a car crash, Katsuki has a concussion. I think that's a good refresher.**

 **Chapter 11**

Maybe patience wasn't his strong suit after all. The nurses were becoming annoyed with his constant tapping of his foot and he was getting annoyed with their insistence on sleeping drugs once they found out about his night terrors. Total strangers were the last people he wanted to know about them. Heroes didn't let people see them weak.

Besides the nurses didn't insist on the drugs to help with his night terrors, they just wanted a quiet nightshift.

His door clicked open, likely another nurse offering drugs. Drugs only sedated the problem, they didn't destroy the problem. He couldn't blame them, they were scared: scared he was going to light the hospital ablaze, "I don't want your-"

"I know, but maybe a walk?" A new nurse, she looked younger, not one he had seen before. New staff that was being fed to the wolf because her seniors didn't want to deal with the problem, him.

"Who sent you to sedate me?"

She shook her head, "I figured there was something you might want to see there."

He rolled his eyes, letting his head hit the pillow, there was no way he was going to let anyone see him in a wheelchair. "The outside can't hurt, the rooftop garden is off-limits except to hospital residences, employees, and their guests." She continued, pulling the wheelchair closer. It clicked. She wasn't a nurse. She was the person they sent in for a psych evaluation.

"You shouldn't do things without people's permission."

The woman rolled the wheelchair in, spinning it around, before sitting in it herself, "Let me make a deal with you."

He was tempted to roll over, but there was a glow in her eyes, one that matched heroes eyes of when he was a teenager. A spark that he hadn't seen in awhile. A love for her job. He sat up, whatever she was proposing he was at least interested, "Did you consider becoming a hero?"

"I am a hero, but not the textbook one you're thinking of."

He nodded, he had a doctor's license for a reason. He understood. "I'm not here to do a psych eval like I know you're thinking, the hospital knows of your education and we're quite understaffed."

"So, you want me to what? Become one of your doctors? I'm out saving the world."

"And I am in here. I may not be saving the world, but you'll be damned if you dare say that what I do isn't."

"I'm not. What's this deal?"

"I'm betting on the girl, when they come back and they tell you they've won we'd like you to help our hospital, of course the hospital understands that your prior job comes first, but they're a lot of people here who could use your help and dedication."

"And if you lose?"

"Please, do you think I'll lose?"

He let a smile come to his face, his liked this woman, "The garden, huh? I'll be able to see the city better from up there." She stood up from the chair helping him in it instead. "If Deku comes, don't let him in." The woman nodded before escorting him to the garden, a triumphant smile on her face. She opened the door to the garden, where Uraraka stood.

Her heels sounded unsteadily as she clopped towards him, "Katsuki! You had me so worried!"

He took a breath, unsure what he should say. He couldn't say sappy shit that he held the same feelings, it wasn't like him. He knew his concussion had him acting funny for awhile, they would only worry again, "You set me up" He growled as the female laughed behind him.

"I would say I don't make bets I don't know I can win, but that's my job, I gamble. I'll talk to you later to see what you have to say." The woman laughed explaining where the locks on the wheelchair were to Uraraka before heading out.

"Dr. Gloria said she would, but honestly I thought she was joking. Did she really ask you to work for them?"

"In my freetime basically."

Uraraka rolled him to the ledge where he could see the night city bustle beneath them, "If you ever tell Deku that you saw me in a wheelchair-"

She rolled her eyes, "You do know wheelchairs are a tool? A very helpful one at that. And please, I know you two have seen each other look much worse than that." She paused, preassembly glancing at cars beneath them,"Do you think it's the whole class that's being targeted? What do you think they're motive is? Who do you think would target the class as a whole?"

She was likely thinking the same things that he was thinking. It wasn't the first time the class was being targeted. They were being put to blame for the demise of their teacher. Several radicalist groups had already attempted to attack them. Whatever group was attacking they were getting somewhere. They already had Kirishima in their clutches and were making moves towards both him and Uraraka. His head hurt from more than just a concussion, he needed answers.

He glanced towards Uraraka; a slight smile growing on her face. The city's 'Battle-Angel' proving that woman could be fierce, leaders, in control, and have fun even while working at the same time.

He glanced towards his own hands; hard, battle-ridden, violent, and covered in scars. There wasn't much that connected him to her. If they weren't in the same class, if they had instead met as opposing heroes' firms it was likely that neither of them would be sitting here right now.

"Katsuki?"

He glanced towards her. Becoming non-responsive probably wasn't the best idea for someone recovering from a concussion, she was probably tempted to tell them to extend his stay, "Symbols. There's two, if they can get ahold of me they, meaning whatever group is doing this, can display they're powerful. And if they can get ahold of you? Chaos. And they'll be in control of it all. Whoever is doing this is trying to make a statement."

She pulled herself closer to him on the bench, a glance over her shoulder towards the empty garden, and her voice becoming a hushed whisper, "I saw the paperwork. When we're you going to tell me that they were targeting the class?"

He glanced towards her. It was going to be hard to make her stop the car and let him drive without a proper explanation, "First we should check on the rest of the class."

"But what do you think they're overall objective is?" Her gaze moving from making eye contact with him to reflecting the glow the stars were executing, her orbs glanced down towards him noticing he was shifting, "what are you doing?"

"The wheelchair is just a precaution, come here." She slid her hands into his attempting to support him, he adjusted his grip moving them to appropriate form.

"Should I get the concussion doctor?" She whispered as he spun her.

"Hush before I change my mind."

"What are we going to do?" She whispered sending a glance down towards the night bustle.

He glanced towards the sky, bustling with as many lights as there were people below, "What heroes do, we win."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

He shouldn't have been here, walking around in the jail. Katsuki glanced around towards the glass doors lined with bars, "What the heck, man?" A voice snapped, it took a minute before he realized that it was his own. He felt his eyes land on Kirishima, tissue pressed to his nose. The damage: a blue eye rapidly changing to black and blood still dripping from his nose.

"I messed up." Kirishima laughed glancing away.

"They told me you started that fight."

"I did. I was aggravated."

Katsuki paused, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't like Kirishima. He didn't lose his temper, he only got stronger. And with how powerful Kirishima's quirk was there was no reason for him to be that beaten up. Katsuki drew a chair, lowering himself into it, "There's no reason you should be the one bleeding."

 _You let them do that._

Kirishima raised his hand, running along his neck, "Come on man, cut me a break. I'm in jail. I swung, they would extend my time more." Kirishima glanced away, refusing to make eye contact with the next statement, "I might want out."

Katsuki took a breath, tapping his foot. He needed to be careful on what he said. It was hard enough to try to get evidence to get Kirishima out with this listed on top of it. He needed to reassure Kirishima, but he couldn't agree with whatever had happened.

"How's it going with Uraraka?" Kirishima glanced at him.

"Not now." Katsuki glanced towards the guards shuffling paperwork.

"Sorry sir, we need you to sign these."

Katsuki glanced towards Kirishima, "Also, why am I listed as the emergency contact?"

"It's not something you ask your mother for. I let them down enough." Kirishima glanced at the table, the sound of the chains as he moved his hands.

Katsuki sighed glancing at the paperwork. It was weird to be called into a jail to sign paperwork for Kirishima, he didn't remember how jails were supposed to operate. But hey, at least Kirishima seemed to be in a decent place.

Katsuki skimmed the paperwork: Kirishima's right's while in jail, options to go to a hospital, and various other pieces of information for him; probably determined necessary by lawyers. He let the pen strum against the paperwork after reading each line carefully.

Kirishima muttered some words his hands tapping against the table and glances towards what would've passed as a window.

Katsuki glanced up from the paperwork, "Don't be stupid."

"Bring me a good story next time." Kirishima laughed.

Katsuki sent a glare towards him. There was something fictitious about him. Kirishima was trying to hide something. Kirishima glaned at the table trying to fake a frail and reassuring smile, fidgeting and refusing eye contact weren't part of his usual traits, "What happened?"

"I got into a fight." Kirishima sent a glance to the wall.

"You didn't kill the kid you know." He waited for Kirishima to make eye-contact and give him a reassuring nod. Anything that would remind him that the old Kirishima was still in there. The amount of silence felt like it was beginning to slither along his neck. He moved towards the door as Kirishima glanced back towards his guard to come get him, "You haven't let me down you know?" He sent Kirishima a glare before trailing out of the room. Katsuki paused glancing at the guard from last time, slightly down the hall, "Yo."

The guard shuffled glancing towards him underneath his hat, feigning ignorance glowing in their eyes, "Are you lost, sir?"

"You know I know my way out."

"Do you need something?" The guard glanced down the hall.

"What pissed him off?" Katsuki sent a glare into the now-empty room.

"I'm not sure, Sir." The guard glanced down the hallway, "but if I were to know I would say that the other person started the altercation, likely about an apprentice. I'm not sure nor do I have the clearance to discuss fights within the jail."

Katsuki suppressed a hiss, feeling his foot twist ready to turn back, he should've said something more. There was no way that Kirishima was going to tell him that.

The guard grabbed his arm, "Sir, I understand your concern. But, by going back now you won't be able to find your way out." The guard glanced towards the end of the hall, his co-workers approaching, "The door is that way."

He paused, turning back to the guard, "I'll remember."

"Be sure you do." The guard nodded before returning to their post.

Katsuki keyed his car, the car's strumming engine steadily buzzing to replace the rampaging of his mind, even if they had managed to win the case the jury would still bring this fight up. As though Kirishima could get out on good behavior in the first place.

Murderers didn't get out for good behavior.

Katsuki glanced down to his phone loosing a circuit as it beat itself against the cup holder, temptation to ignore it was running high. He glanced at the jail; when they got Kirishima out he would need a place to crash. And if he didn't go, there wouldn't be a place for either of them. He picked up the phone, "Yo?"

"Where are you? You were suppose-Uravity, that's-"

"I know that's why I picked it up! Incoming!" Explosion echoed in the background as he could hear Deku rustle around finding a place for cover.

"-you were supposed to meet us here an hour ago!"

Katsuki glanced towards the building again, he wasn't about to tell Deku where he was at. He paused thinking the job over, work usually helped with slightly with the stress, but not with Midoriya there.

"Ur-, I thought we were a team. I've got to go." Deku whined before the phone went silent.

He glanced at the phone Midoriya had hung up, paging through his phone he found the address. They were supposed to do a drug-bust and from the sound of things they had found what they were looking for. Katsuki snapped open his glove box pulling out his uniform. It shouldn't take him long to get there, heck he was halfway there already due to visiting Kirishima.

After several miles and a couple red lights he found himself walking into Uravity and Deku wrapping things up.

"You're late." Deku sent a soft spoken glare at him.

"I was in the middle of something." He snapped, today just wasn't his day today.

"Wh-"

"Give him a break Deku, we had it handled." Uravity sighed, tightening the ropes around the assumed druglords.

"I'll do it." He grabbed the ropes and beginning to move the people. He was part of the team he needed to put in his part of the work.

"I don't know where you've been, but this isn't like you. Are you hiding something?" Deku asked. His voice sounded almost sincere, but Katsuki attempted to quell the bitter feeling rising in his chest. There was something accusatory about that sentence, he was ready to snap his head off.

"Deku, lay off. He'll tell us when he's ready-" Uravity paused turning to him, "-and if you need a break, don't worry we can handle ourselves."

Katsuki glanced between the two, contrasting faces for the same reason. The exception was knowledge. He knew that Uraraka knew about everything that was going on in the background, but how much did Deku know? He had assumed that Uraraka would've explained the situations to him, it wasn't something they could hide and deal with on their own.

He tightened the ropes on the druglords recounting each of them, placing them with restraints while they waited for the cops to arrive and apprehend them. "I've got a problem."

"You've got a lot of problems."

He sent Deku a glare, as they got older Deku had gotten older still thought rapidly, but held his tongue less, "Nevermind." He snapped, turning on his foot stomping back to the drug lords. It felt as though it was taking a century for the cops to finally show up.

He could barely hear Uraraka's hushed tone scolding Deku the way she used to scold him, "He was trying to tell you something."

"I-what was-"

"Don't bother if you're not going to let him speak."

If it wasn't for the shit day he had just had he knew the flip-flopped scene would've made him smirk. Katsuki glanced up at the police finally pulling up to the situation to apprehend the drug-lords, "Thank goodness, we were trying to apprehend them for a while, but they're too out of control for us to handle."

"I was somewhere else, showed up when called."

The office nodded heading towards Deku and Uravity for their report. His queue to leave this place. Uravity's heels clopped down the sidewalk catching up to him, "Katsuki, whatever it is, you know you can talk to us about it right?"

He glanced over his shoulder, her eyes trailing over him with worry, "Kirishima got into a fight. He listed me as the contact information."

Knowledge ran through her eyes. It wasn't something he was quite ready to talk about, but with her she might've had a different perspective on it, "Wh-"

"We have other things that need to take priority before we get him out." He turned leaning against his car, "Our main goals are whose after the class and why and then finding the guy who offed Kirishima's sidekick."

Uraraka glanced over her shoulder, sending a quick look towards Deku still chatting with the police, "Should we tell him? Would it be easier if we split into groups?"

"No." Katsuki paused following her gaze up towards where Deku was discussing the typical matters after an arrest with the police officers.

"He's got a decent poker-face."

"But he'll go into a full scale investigation, and for a hero constantly under the spotlight to disappear? It's not like he's us, we've disappeared without a problem before. He's been pulled off the scene for working with the last deadly case of the flu. We need him to keep up the act, the easiest way is for him to just not know."

"Are you sure?"

"For now, yeah."

Deku trampled down the hill towards them, glancing between the two of them, "The police want one of us to ride back with them to make an official report, since I was up there already I offered to go. Uhh, Uraraka i'm sorry, but I can drive you back first." Deku fidgeted.

Katsuki sighed glanced between them, "I can drive." He snapped, something about the courtesy Deku was offering irritating him.

"Sorry, I just meant Uraraka lives closer to me and you guys would probably want to get ready for Todoroki's party tonight.

Katsuki glanced between the two, understanding seeming to understand in Deku's eyes, "You weren't invited?"

"No, I forgot." He snapped. He wasn't in the mood for this not today, he didn't want to go to someone's shitty party on top of having to worry about Kirishima starting fights in jail and being late for work.

"If you don't want to go, then it's okay. I'll tell them. Besides, it looks like you haven't slept in days."

"It's fine." He snapped glancing towards her, it almost seemed as though she was offering to drive him home. "We can go to your place, but I'm not showing up anywhere smelling like a drug-lord." He gestured to the house where the criminals they had just caught were apparently making the substance they were trying to get off of the market. Unfortunately, on his part it wasn't the drug that he was searching for. He needed to find it and prevent his production and develop a cure. Also unfortunately, was the fact the entire place reeked, they weren't the smartest or most powerful drug-lords in the area. He took a swift glance around the territory: some broken down fence, terrible smell that was obviously a drug, and several people curled in blankets barely coming down from the high, likely the test subjects. It wasn't a safe neighborhood, but also one that was likely to cover up the smell of the drug. "Let the police finish, let's get out of here." Katsuki gestured towards the car, Uraraka nodded, beginning to head towards the passenger seat.

"Kaachan, are you over-working? You'll concern Shoto and Momo if they see the color of your eyes."

"It's none of your business."

"We're a team you know."

"And that means we stay out of each other's business."

"Not if we're involved in something dangerous. Is something wrong?"

"Don't worry about it and go to your stupid party."

"Hurry up! Neither of us will have time for showers if you stay there and talk all day." Uraraka shouted from the car.

Katsuki turned jogging down to the car. He watched Uraraka throw her seatbelt over herself grabbing for a coat from the back.

"When?"

"That time we had to go a mission at the beach, you drove remember?"

He slowed the car, pulling into a luckily opened space in the crowded neighborhood, "I don't see why you insist on living somewhere so crowded."

"We work for the city, I'm able to start working immediately whenever we're called into action." She hurried out of the vehicle onto the sidewalk before another car swung around the corner, catching his glance at his car, "It just looks dangerous, your car will be fine when we get back out." She borrowed through her purse bringing out her keys as her neighbor's cooed.

"Don't you think it's a little early in the night to bring a man home?"

He paused ready to swipe the keys out of her hands and storm up the stairs to escape the elderly-neighbor's coo-ing and teasing.

"Gran, he's a friend from high school and a co-worker."

"I still think you should quit that job, it doesn't seem right for you to always have to patch yourself up after working at a police station."

"They're just a few bruises, I bump into things."

"What about that one time you came home with a broken arm?"

Katsuki felt her hands press into his back leading him towards the door, "Unstable filing cabinet, I told you already it's the safest position in the whole firm."

He raised an eyebrow as Uraraka shut the apartment door behind them, "Police station?"

"It was the closest thing I could think of at the time, I should've said something like a circus performer." She laughed, one of her most recent bruises barely sticking out from below her cuff.

He sighed, "Did you want me to run a crossed to that drug store to grab concealer?" His last girlfriend had worn enough make-up for him at least have a close enough guess on which one to grab.

She followed his gaze towards her wrist, "I guess I should cover it up, it'll make people at the party worry. My neighbors already think I'm bullied by my co-workers. I should have some in the bathroom somewhere." She moved to the bathroom rummaging through the products on and under the sink. "I don't have that many people over so there isn't much motivation to clean the place, I didn't expect to be bringing you back today. Oh-here's a towel." She muttered, shoving a mass of purple fluff into his hands before moving to the next room. "I only have fruity smelling shampoo, is that alright?" She asked.

"Fine, I don't care." A hot shower is all he really wanted after how long that day had been and it looked like it was just about to get longer on top of that, who cared if he smelled like strawberry shampoo.

"You go first, I'll get my stuff together while I wait. I'll go get my stuff." Uraraka moved into her room without waiting to hear his opinion.

Shutting the door he turned the shower on letting the pressure of the shower hit his back and running his fingers through his hair. It wasn't a day that he had pictured he would be living out in the future. It wasn't where he had pictured himself to be when he was in high school. Katsuki reached for a bottle, his hand matted in red, he pulled his hand back glancing it over-nothing was there. He cussed glancing at the bottle, it was sizzling. He had gotten lucky he didn't destroy her shampoo. If he was honest with himself he didn't want to go to that stupid party. It should've gotten a rise out of him, or at least a small laugh out of its irony where he wanted to be. He wanted to be in that jail having Kirishima's back like he used to have his. He had killed that kid as much as Kirishima had.

Uraraka's knocking on the door, startled him from his thoughts, the smoke-detector begging for mercy likely in her hand. She shut it off before yelling in, "Are you okay?"

"Fine, I'll be out soon."

"Okay, I'm going to get batteries, don't rush." He heard her footsteps trail away before he could speak up about frying at least the outer casing of her only shampoo bottle.

He turned the showers off, glancing at the fog-covered mirror. He didn't need a mirror to see how many scars the lifestyle he was leading covered him in, but the one's that covered him were painted on. They made him proud, he had obtained several during his job. It was a symbol that he had gone through hell and lived. They were like a type of body paint or tattoo, a prize to show that he had been through hell and back. The one's that bothered him were on the inside, there was no way to cover those up if he didn't like them, they would repeatedly come back. He wrapped a towel around himself glancing at the ragged clothes he had grabbed when rushing out the door this morning when the jail called saying there was an emergency and something happened to Kirishima that required him to be there. He opened the door trailing into the kitchen in search of his phone, there had to be some place around here he could grab clean clothes quick.

"I asked Deku to swing by and pick some clothes up for you, decent for the party."

"You think he would?" He shouted back in the direction her voice was coming from.

"I asked him to. He'll do it."

"Sure." He let his eyes trail to the window, cars traveling through the town almost incessant, rush hour just starting, he slid the window open, listening to the subtle sounds of the city.

He shivered feeling her fingers run down his back, "uh-i'm, sorry. I-uh" Uraraka's face lit up as she jumped back due to startling him.

"What the fuck?" He snapped turning around feeling the heat rush to his face praying that he wasn't changing colors like a chameleon.

He glanced towards her at least he wouldn't be the only one with a different colored face, "I, uh-I walked in and I, sorry. I'll get the door, hopefully it's Midoriya with your clothes." She darted out of the room. It felt that the cool air that had been running along his shoulders was now replaced by the steam and warmth of the shower. "If you want to wait in the bathroom, I'll bring them to-I mean if you don't mind."

He nodded heading towards the bathroom, but not without a quick glance over his shoulder towards her. He wanted to make that party wait even more now, better yet not show up at all. He wanted to be just as ambitious and impulsive to reach out and touch her. He took the clothes she slid in then got dressed rapidly, before making usage of the products that she had left out on the counter. "Alright, let's do this." He stormed into the living room, if they were going to the party no matter what he did they should leave soon. He'd rather sit at the party he didn't want to be at with some food then in traffic to go to a party he didn't want to be at.

"So, who's car-" Deku glanced around the room, fidgeting as he glanced around the apartment.

"I'm driving." He needed a distraction. There was no way that he was going to be left in the backseat to fall asleep with all the thoughts running through his head. Especially since even Deku seemed to be noticing the differences within him, he had gone so carefully to hide the multitude of situations from him. A distraction was important.

"Oh good, because either of you hold the presents and you'll squish them."

"What exactly are we going to again?" He glanced down towards the child-like wrapping and how Deku was holding the boxes.

"A housewarming party, but mostly a birthday party since their children's birthday just passed." Deku muttered climbing into the backseat.

As soon as everyone was in and safely buckled, Katsuki pressed the peddle to the floor, feeling Uraraka's hand grab onto his shoulder, "City-driving is different than being in the open." She shouted tightening her grip on his sleeve.

He knew that, but one glance at her hand wrapped around his arm made him want to press the pedal harder into the floor. "You're going to miss it." She slurred, causing him to slow the car down barely making a red light.

"Ah, dang I thought you mean the house." He said receiving a light slap on the arm.

"We're heroes we don't blow red lights for parties." She muttered glancing towards the window, but her eyes sparkling with temptation.

With the way he was feeling tonight he might've blown that light too. He glanced back towards Deku half-expecting him to have accidentally squished the presents between Deku's late "blooming" powers and his own driving. Katsuki glanced towards where the party was being held, then another glance towards Uraraka, "Are you sure this is their house?" It was a few stories short of being a fancy hotel.

"Yup." Uraraka's voice was soft was she glanced up towards the building.

"Are you jealous?"

"Kaach-!"

"A little bit, but I don't think I could live like this my whole life. It would feel like a movie to me. These two don't know how to live in anything, but this lifestyle."

He held out his hand, "Well, tonight, we'll know this lifestyle too."

"I guess a day or two I wouldn't mind." She slipped her hand into his, allowing him to lead her inside where Todoroki greeted them before beginning running around again trying to be a good host. The guests moved their way throughout the room, and he found himself moving to the top of the balcony overlooking the guests.

The party seemed to drone on minutes feeling like hours, glass clanking together echoed throughout the hall as he felt his eyes graze over Todoroki spinning Momo around the dance floor. Uraraka bumping into him bringing him out of his daze, "what?" he snapped, eyes darting away before she could notice him examining her in that dress. It made him feel like he was choking, his body begging him to take her hands and spin her out of sight where no one could see.

"They invited us as guests, not as bodyguards. You know this right?" She laughed pulling him down the stairs onto the floor.

"They don't know better."

Guilt flashed through her eyes, her hair brushing his shoulder as her gaze moved to the floor. He felt bad for ruining her mood, but he wasn't going to let anyone embarrass them by destroying the party while at least five trained heroes were there. With so many of them there it was the least likely place whoever was targeting them would make their move, but if he were the attacker he would take advantage of this feeling of security and ruin it.

He glanced towards Uraraka, he had been letting her lead. It felt empty, she knew that he was letting her pull him around like a puppet. It wasn't the same as dancing. His hands buzzed remembering the feeling that had rushed through his hands in the kitchen that begged him to slam the door on Deku, grab her by the hips, and kiss her until she was the one with this feeling. The way she was making him feel like he was choking on his own breath, trying to figure out how to breathe again, a cluster and rainbow of emotions all at once. He pulled her closer arms tightening on her lips, she was right against his chest he could feel her breathe.

Her eyes glowed as she looked at him, smile beginning to spread on her face like butter on toast. He could feel his feet spinning them, they must've turned the same direction nearly a thousand times as he leaned down, slowly, waiting for her to back away, skin barely touching-

-A scream brought the party to a halt.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Her breath cascaded against his lips, skin so close he could feel his brush her warmth. She was doing more than just tantalizing him. His mind was berating him and begging him to ignore the world for a while, but he knew he would want more and more. Seconds would become hours and if he let her take him away now he wouldn't be able to stop himself. She was pulling him in, he could feel her lips brush the edge of his teeth, like a toxin-until the explosion shook the floor causing her to pull away, muscles already tensing for action.

He was going to do more than smash someone's face in. He was almost drawn back by the disappointment he could feel in her hand as she pulled away, until she was the first up the stairs, fire in her eyes blazing, heels launched over her shoulder.

The inferno in her eyes made the organ in his chest pound, a wild smile escalating on his face as he followed siege. He could feel the heat blasting its way out into the hallway where he had lost sight of her just above the stairwell. Katsuki felt his teeth bare, exposing themselves to the world in a wild smile. He was going to have fun with whatever intruder thought it'd be a good idea to wreck the party when he just started having fun.

He pressed a foot to the top of the staircase-his mind throwing him back to several months ago. He slammed into a brick wall, removing the blood running down his chin as he glared around the alleyway. He had been surrounded, it wasn't an unusual situations for the villains to try to get the jump on him there were too many for this not to be planned. Katsuki glanced towards the other end of the alleyway, Red Riot was chasing his sidekick, too excited to impress, not quick enough to listen. This wasn't an unusual situation, it had occurred on more occasions than he could count. He wouldn't want to take him down? Heck, if he was a villain he would try to take him down. He was a powerhouse that would make a name for himself. Punch after punch he was sure the villains would back down soon, it was getting too hot for their nonsense. Kirisihima's scream made the ninety-five degree fahrenheit day feel as if it was high-winter in the mountains. Fire reigned over the alley as the villains began coughing, pressing their hands to their neck as his new power was beginning to emerge. He darted around the corner to find Kirishima losing his mind, sidekick pressed to his chest begging for anyone that could to help. It was up to him to wrestle the body from Kirishima's hands, as his best friend he had to be the one, he let his friend mourn. And when the police finally arrived he insisted to be the one to handle the situation.

The body still felt warm, when he held it up against his chest, he would've thought the kid was still alive if it weren't for the gaping hole in his chest the size of his fist.

Katsuki felt his arms wrap around that warmth once again, pulling it against himself, as he leaned against the railing extending an arm a full-flare blast forcing its way out, veins making an appearance to beg for mercy, "I'll kill you if you hurt Raiz!" He snapped, venom running through his voice as he began preparing another large blast-ice running up his arm as he glanced around he had been encased in an igloo. "Who?" He felt his chest pound, he knew where he was, but he wasn't quite ready to face the truth.

"Was Raiz that kid's name?" Todoroki's eyes echoed with sadness, as Katsuki felt his hands tighten around the boy was sent flying by the villain. "That's not Raiz-"

Tiny hands grasped his shirt, tightening around it until they got his attention, Todoroki's crystal clear eyes stared back at him as though they were moving around in his very soul. "Uncle Kaachan, I'm scared. Please let me go."

Katsuki glanced around, fire still raining around the mansion, glowing as it pounded against the igloo, Uraraka trusting that Todoroki had made it sturdy enough running along it and bouncing back each time the invader threw her. Todoroki sighed, removing gloves from his pocket as he slipped them on, "El, come here." The child slipped from his hands rushing towards his father. Katsuki glanced towards the ice running down his arm, "You were over using it, besides probably would've killed that guy over there."

He glanced towards the villain Uraraka was fighting. It looked like she was struggling, but he knew the truth, she was holding back to make sure not to injure the villain who didn't know they were fighting one of the most badass heroes out there.

It took only a few minutes to wrap up the business with the party and police arrived shortly after. Todoroki sorted out the usual information before turning inside where Momo was moving her guest outside saying that she was prepared for something to happen as a way to get everyone out of the way as she returned the house to normal.

Todoroki glanced around the house looking at the destroyed curtains as he carried El to the first floor, the place was in tatters. "Don't out do yourself."

"I'll just repair what's broken." Momo smiled triumphantly before getting to work.

"What a useful quirk." Uraraka laughed from the top floor before launching herself down.

Katsuki felt his eyes-widen, even with knowledge of her quirk he felt his arms reach out to catch her. She laughed floating into his arms, "You know you didn't have to."

"I saw someone jump, what'd you expect me to do. Besides, don't do that in front of the children." He scolded glancing towards the floor in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. He was positive she could feel his arms shaking as her smile melted.

"Kaachan, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing." He snapped pulling away from her. She knew that jump hadn't scared him and it wasn't something that could make him shake like that. He needed space. And food. He stomped to the kitchen deciding to help himself to the leftover snacks where he could see Todoroki sorting away food and pulling out extras, presumably for Momo after she recreated what they had lost.

"What is it Elyon?"

"Is...is Uncle Katsuki okay?"

Todoroki paused before moving to another cabinet, "You know how you can see the scar on my face?" El nodded. "Well, sometimes there's damage on the inside, it's not always easy to see. It's more painful than if were just the outside."

"I know." El glanced towards the kitchen floor as Todoroki set a box of cereal he had been moving aside down, his hair falling in front of his face as he stared at the counter.

"El, I-"

"It's okay. I'm going to go see if mom wants cake with all of this." El stood up charging out of the room. Katsuki glanced back in, Todoroki was staring at his gloves.

"So, icy-hot the two of you have been very quiet about that kid's quirk."

Todoroki glanced towards him then back to the gloves, "You already know that Momo's been a target quite a few times because of her quirk. You could say the same for El. He didn't exactly get either of our quirks."

Katsuki grabbed a bag of chips off of the counter, beginning to munch away with a glance at the clock waiting for the party to end, "so what is it?"

"El's an empath."

"Shit."

"It's okay, just skin contact. I'm surprised he's acting so normal. He always get's uncomfortable with the ability. But I'm thinking he's hiding something." Todoroki gave him an accusatory look, waiting for an answer. What kind of information did he give his son? What had he unintentionally done to bother Elyon?

"What that kid saw isn't pretty." Katsuki crossed his arms leaning against the counter as he glanced towards Elyon move from party guest to party guest pretending he hadn't just seen slaughter thrown unexpectedly in front of him. Todoroki inhaled longer than necessary before letting the breath out, gloved hands moving sorting food without words. "I noticed you two, especially Creati whose quirk destroys clothes, are wearing more than normal. You can't protect the kid forever."

"But this is his home and we want him to dress how he wants without worrying about subjecting him to something that we placed far away from the reaches of our minds."

"That kids going to grow up quick."

"I know. And I'm trying my best to give him the longest childhood this world will possibly allow." Todoroki glanced towards the roof.

"That person that just attacked wasn't after Elyon. They would've grabbed Elyon and ran instead of sending him flying. He was likely after either you or Momo."

"Me?" Todoroki raised an eyebrow. Neither of his double-quirks were uncommon, powerful but not uncommon. "It's been years since anyone dared try to get in this home to come after me." A smile traced the edges of his lips, "You would've think it was me they found."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow waiting for Todoroki to keep talking. "Elyon was just born and they broke straight into his room, well Momo feared for the worst and chased them out. They had peed their pants and were covered in sweat by the time they found me at the exit. They went and begged me, _their target,_ for mercy and to save them from the mad-woman inside."

Todoroki explained throwing a cake in the oven as he progressed around the room. Doubling the food they had originally intended for the party.

Katsuki such the door, Todoroki sent him a glance pausing what he was doing. "We're being targeted."

"We're as in who?"

"The whole class of 1-A, I'm not sure who's doing it, but I was given paperwork after visiting Kirishima the other day, then someone swerved to hit Uraraka, now this. These were all spur of the moment decisions. Most of us had decided at last second to do most of these things."

"Shouldn't you tell the police?"

"How are they going to help us? They're a lot weaker than us. It'll only put them in danger."

"You know the law. It-"

"I know the damn law. And I know exactly what's it's done for me. Not a goddamn thing." Katsuki grabbed the handle of the kitchen door doing his best not to burn it, but knowing that he was getting sweat on the doorknob anyway. He could hear it sizzle.

"Ka-"

"Don't you kaachan-me you're not Deku, and I'm not in the mood for this shit. I probably would've left already if it weren't for Deku and Uraraka."

Todoroki set the utensils he had pulled out for the cake down on the counter, "It's okay. If you don't want to we won't. But remember we're going to have to be snappy about it."

He found himself startled on how fast Todoroki had given in, actually finding himself dumbstruck on something to say for once. "You-"

"This year hasn't been your year. For one who upholds the law it hasn't really been fair to you this year. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask you to trust something that keeps letting you down." Todoroki slid the makeshift cake into the oven.

"I only told you this because you need to protect Elyon and Momo."

"Momo is plenty capable of taking care of herself. Elyon is highly intuitive. They'll be fine."

"Intuitive and Empath, are you sure he doesn't have a rearrangement of psychic powers?"

Todoroki glanced between his hands, "It's a high possibility. If that happens it'll make it easier to hide the empathy, but I'm worried about him having more than he could handle."

"He'll figure it out. We did, didn't we?"

Todoroki nodded in response.

"I'll go talk to him. What he saw wasn't pretty."

"What did he see?"

"Just make your cake." He shut the kitchen door behind him, watching Elyon scurry from party guest to party guest outside. Either the kid was trying to busy himself as a distraction or hide from him, it was likely both. Katsuki set his feet down purposely with sound waiting as the kid slowly turned around, red acrossed their face.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to." The kid waved their hands as he lowered himself to their height, "I'm sorry-" Tears displayed at the edges of his lashes.

Katsuki racked his brain trying to figure out the most beautiful thing he ever saw that he could display to the kid, taking a breath he reached over, patting the kid on his head. Elyon's eyes widened as a display of colors assaulted his vision, Katsuki could see the kid visibly looking around as though he had seen the clear lights of the north from a helicopter, the sky painting itself various hues and the ocean reflecting below it in an assault over colors in what would've been considered a wasteland of white instead filled with more colors than an artist's smock.

"Your power isn't all bad. You'll get used to it." Katsuki pulled away watching Elyon still gasping as though he could clearly see the images still displayed in front of him.

The kid smiled glancing at the ground, "You know, once this power awakened. I asked dad why he fought when I could tell he was scared. And he said it's okay to be scared." Katsuki glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he would've barked at his colleagues for making such a suggestion. "I guess with your job comes really beautiful things too." Elyon nodded before scurrying off to his mother.

Katsuki returned to Deku and Uraraka, scurrying around trying to find her shoes. "I've got them. Let's go." He smiled handing her the shoes.

"You were so gentle with Elyon, I wouldn't be surprised if they asked you to babysit."

Katsuki shook his head unsure if he would be able to handle such a request. He shut the car door a mixture of worry and relief filling his chest.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Hands surrounded his collar nearly choking him, Kirishima dragging him forwards by his neck, " _I'm sitting here and you go to a damn party! You should be helping me!"_ Katsuki took a breath attempting not to react as the man screamed in his face, " _This should be you right now! Where were you? It should've always been you!"_ Kirishima snapped shoving him back against the bookshelf. Katsuki let himself stumble backward looking over Kirishima's angered form positive that he was boiling inside. A hand reached out to continue throttling him for his current poor decisions, "I know, dammit!" He snapped sitting up, Deku reaching to wake him up.

"If you were already up you could've said something." Deku sighed, turning to leave the room.

Katsuki rapidly collected himself an accusatory glare sent towards Deku, "what are you doing in here?" He snapped.

"It's almost time for work, get dressed." Deku turned leaving the room.

Uraraka had likely asked him to come in here and wake him up, able to hear his nightmare and consenting to his request to not wake him from last time. If he burnt Deku it would be considered the typical in-team rivalry they had shared for years. If he burnt her again, everyone would be all over it. And right now she knew they were under the cameras, the press constantly looking for a reason to throw him in jail.

Katsuki glanced down at the blanket, shimmering, then back at Deku who had stopped in the doorway, "Are you, no, I mean...if you need something we're here." He said before shutting the door behind him.

He rolled his eyes as he slid out of the bed, getting dressed with a glance at the clock, unsure what had come over him to convince him to agree to the three of them crashing the night at Uraraka's place. It was likely the cup of whatever he had been drinking and how it was full every time he turned around. A tiny bit at a time she knew she wasn't going to be able to convince him to not drive home in the middle of the night completely exhausted, so instead must have settled for this unprofessional tactic. "My heads pounding, I only had one glass." He muttered opening the door, a towel thrust in his arms.

"One glass, but drinks that were probably in the double digits." Uraraka was standing there, a towel in one hand, and a change of clothing in the other. "Sorry, I was concerned, and with how you looked I wasn't going to let you spend the night alone."

"I've had worse nights." Katsuki sighed, accepting the towel, "I don't remember any patrol scheduled for today."

Uraraka glanced down the hall, "Ah, I told Deku that's why I was going to get you up, but the truth is you probably want to go look for clues." She paused fidgeting, "I was also thinking about going to visit Kirishima."

Kirishima's angry face and hands curled around his neck shaking him flew into his vision, "No." He could tell from the look of confusion slowly turning into anger on her face that he had snapped, he would a need a reason and quickly.

"Why not? He's our classmate. If you're visiting him I don't see why I can't and-"

"It's not that. If the person that has been targeting us find out, they'll know we're onto them and they'll hide away.'

"Just because I visited Kirishima?"

"Right after that man tried to run you over, yes."

"Katsuki, that man fell asleep at the wheel he wasn't trying to kill anyone." She crossed her arms leaning on the doorway waiting for a satisfactory answer from him.

He ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not saying not to visit him, just, just wait. I'll check the staff first, especially since Kirishima is there, and then it'll be okay."

"And what about you?"

"It's not about me."

"It's not, it's about all of us. And that includes you. You've already been pulled off to court once and the driver was probably aiming for you since we were on our way from the jail if they were aiming for anyone. Prove to me that you're not the target." Uraraka met his gaze as he felt his mouth run dry. How was he supposed to do that? He couldn't even prove that they weren't in danger or why they were in danger.

"I can't, but I'll investigate today."

Uraraka sighed, leaning against the doorway, "Do you remember that time we went to the beach? It was about a month ago."

How could he forget? That day was wrapped in a million emotions that replayed in his head. The compulsion to open the cart, the wishing he could stay falling forever; getting to her room and finding her standing on the ledge of the balcony. His brain refused to let him forget that part. It had even gone as far as to integrate it into one of his nightmares and twist it. There were times he had wandered back to his room like a civil human-being instead of burning the door open, times he had gone in and let her slip out of his hands, times he opened the door to her jumping instead of when he did.

Warm pressure found its way onto his cheeks returning him to the present moment, "Not that, listen what you had said to me, do you remember? You told me that you had trusted me and asked for my trust in return. You need to trust me now."

He found the warmth on his cheeks distracting, that day he had been too overwhelmed with a mixture of actual fear and worry to appreciate the feeling of heat, the sign of a living being, in his arms. Uraraka's eyes widened before he realized that he had moved his own hand on top of hers. "Don't get killed."

"Not a problem."

"I'll start at the police station and request an appeal for looking through citizen's quirks."

Uraraka nodded, grabbing her coat, "Deku, I've got to go to work I'll be back later!" She shouted, hurrying out the door.

Katsuki glanced towards the towel. A shower wouldn't hurt, especially since he was going to have to do a lot of convincing people to be on his side today. He let the heat rolled down his back the shower pouring down helping relief muscles that had been tense lately as his mind wandered around. Would Kirishima appreciate Uraraka coming to visit instead of him? Would he mind that they had attended a party the night before without him? Heck, he was going to throw him a whole 'freedom-party' when they finally got him out of his unnecessary imprisonment. Maybe Uraraka going today instead of his gloomy-self would benefit Kirishima. Katsuki shut the water off, getting dressed as he glanced in the mirror attempting facial expressions that would win the staff over. Convincing people to do what he wanted wasn't hard. At least when he was playing the villain, but today he would have to play the hero. The outstanding citizen just doing his job trying to help everyone, which was what he was doing. Katsuki glanced towards the contraption on the wall hanging there in a bright orange to go against the black button down that Uraraka had given him. Katsuki inhaled, snatching the tie off of the wall. He turned opening the door only to find Deku standing there leaning on the frame, "Who's going to tell me what you two are hiding?"


	15. Chapter 15

***** _ **SURPRISE I'M ALIVE!* BAM! NEW CHAPTER!**_

 **Chapter 15**

Fuck. This wasn't how he was planning on him telling him. Well, actually Katsuki wasn't sure he was planning on telling Deku at all about this situation. Especially not with the way Deku commonly handled things.

The door open, "Katsuki, I brought what you asked for, but I don't think they're going to help." Uraraka paused her eyes scanning the table over. Where he was sitting with Deku patiently a crossed it as though he was being put on time-out. He could almost see Uraraka's hand tighten around the documents she was holding. He watched her move slowly, pulling the third chair out and setting the papers onto the table. She knew what was happening. "Midoriya, it's-"

"I can guess." Deku picked up the papers glancing through it, "the cops have been chasing these people for months. I just didn't know that you had the paperwork that would help them the most. You two do understand what you've been doing is a crime correct?" Midoriya glanced over the both of them accusingly. Uraraka glanced towards Katsuki unsure what to say.

"I understand. It was just me. I asked her to look into them."

"Somehow, I don't believe you. I've always understood how smart Uraraka was. She would've seen this papers, even if it was the first time today and immediately understood what you were doing. That leads me to the conclusion you were in on it together. Now what am I going to tell the police?"

Uraraka glanced at her hands, bawling them into fists, "Tell them the truth."

"How am I supposed to tell them that Uraraka? You two will wind up in jail and these people will have everything and the cops will feel like they failed in their jobs. All because you two couldn't manage to hand over some evidence!" Midoriya snapped, glaring between the two of them. The betrayal being stronger than the anger in his eyes,

"Have you considered maybe there was a reason?" Katsuki glanced between the two.

"You two aren't in high school anymore, you should know better. You should've just gone and put in a request to be part of this specific investigation." Deku ran a hand through his hair, attempting to suppress his aggravation with the two of them as he glared at the door.

Katsuki glared toward the window, memories hitting him from high school, "It's not like I'm the only who keeps secrets."

"Mine were to protect both of you. I-"

"And what makes you think our's aren't to protect you?" Katsuki glanced towards Uraraka, she had been quiet for a decent amount of time. Honestly, he wasn't sure if she was going to step in to defend him or apologize. "Did you bother asking before pointing your finger?" Uraraka snapped, looking Deku square in the eye. He didn't answer. And with that, Uraraka had her purse over her shoulder and was out the door. Frankly, he wasn't sure where she was going, this was her house after all. He glanced down towards his pager, off by choice, he turned it on. The masses of messes going back and forth throughout the hospital all pouring into it. He paged through the messages. It looks like they'd need his help at the hospital today.

"Where are you going?"

"To save people." Katsuki snatched a jacket off the wall, grabbing Uraraka's as he went. "It's probably best you're not here by the time she gets back. Or you have a decent apology for her. We only hid it from you to keep you from overworking yourself. Besides...nevermind." Katsuki slammed the door for dramatic effect. Then, took the stairs two at the time, threw Uraraka's coat over her head and kept moving. "Thanks"

Uraraka nodded, glancing at the pager in his hand, "Do your best at work today."

He nodded. He glanced down at the pager, he wondered for the first time what he would've become if he was born into a world that wasn't a superhuman society. If he didn't shoot explosions from every single one of his pores. He obviously wouldn't of been a doctor. That was due to the super human powers he had received. He was incredibly smart. Maybe he would've been a lawyer. But he liked to help people, not fight battles determined on their money. Even if he was a lawyer it probably wouldn't of lasted long. Katsuki glanced down to the pager in his hand. He probably would've wound up being a doctor eventually.

Katsuki slammed his heels into the main lobby, "Where's Doctor Gloria?" The woman at the front desk glanced up from her phone hidden just behind the uppercut of the desk.

"She's performing her duties currently, have you made an appointment?"

Katsuki attempted to internally groan. This woman probably thought he had come off rudely. She was probably examining him now for creepy ex-boyfriend material. "Tell her it's Katsuki, she'll want to see me." He sighed, that sentence itself probably wasn't going to help the situation. The woman nodded slowly directing him to sit down at the section with a bunch of chairs as she picked up the phone.

Katsuki tapped his foot against the floor. He had come here to help, his pager ablaze as if the city was under attack, and yet they had the gall to ignore him when they had asked him to extended his help. The nerve. He was almost tempted to leave. A shadow loomed over him. He glanced up towards security, thinking nothing of it, he glanced back to the floor continuing to tap his foot against the squares that lined the floor. "Are you Katsuki?"

"Who's asking?"

"Security. We've been informed there was a disturbance."

"Look you don't want to fight me." Katsuki snapped watching as the security reached for their defense weapons.

"We're asking you to leave."

"Fine." Katsuki swiped tucked his pager back onto his belt, "But remember next time Doctor Gloria calls asking for help tell her don't bother, I'm not coming to help to get kicked out again." He snapped, twisting his foot.

"Thank god! Katsuki! Katsuki! We're super understaffed get back here!" One the nurses, water-coating was her quirk if he remembered right, he never quite remembered getting her name, darted towards him. Foolishly rushing through security which was trying to pull her back telling her that he was a dangerous intruder.

"Doctor Lena are you sure?"

The woman rolled her eyes before shoving the security aside motioning for him to come with her, "Don't blame them, they're just doing their jobs." She gave a curt nod to the security who finally sighed, moving apart but keeping a strict watch on him. Likely the fact that he had insinuated that they didn't want to fight him made them curious. She led him around the guest elevators and into back halls that all seemed to look the same, the colors the hospital showed off for its guests now gone, leaving the back alleyways that the staff used almost completely blank with the exception of a painting or picture here and there.

They finally reached their destination, Doctor Gloria looked up, her arms half covered in blood, and her eyes determined, "Doctor Lena, finally, and looks like you brought back-up, good. We've got a bus crash. Fiftthteen victims critical condition, thirthteen others major injuries, and five minor injuries. Tend to them in that order, split the spare nurses we're allotted amongst the major injuries and the small group for the minor. Get the minor injuries taken care of rapidly but properly. It will make room for the injured and available staff for the more critical once they're out of the way." Doctor Gloria returned to what she was doing, a quick mentioning that she would need the stitches soon and to have them on stand-by. She glanced back up to Katsuki, "settle wherever you're comfortable, I've had a look at your educational background. I'm sure you'll understand what you're doing once you get started."

Katsuki nodded, taking a look at the crowd, this was a bus crash, from what Doctor Gloria had listed a counted total of thirty-three victims. "Don't let the minor injuries leave immediately, some head injuries are delayed keep all victims under twenty-four hour surveillance, to make room for major victims clear out the least used waiting room in the hospital with one or two nurses on staff for observation."

Doctor Gloria nodded, glancing at her confused staff, "you heard the man. Now get cracking you all have jobs to do."

Katsuki moved to the a victim, a burn half-way a crossed their abdomen. He got to work. He was right. There was something deep down inside him. He would wind up here. There was something in the bottom of his soul that craved saving lives. Super power or not.


	16. Chapter 16

**You ever hate it when a fanfiction takes so long to update you have no idea what happened? Yeah, me too. Sorry. In other news, I took so long that wrote two books and I EARNED A COLLEGE DEGREEEEEE! (Graduation is May 17** **th** **, but close enough!)**

 **Chapter 16**

Katsuki tightened the box in his grip, unsure if prison even allowed presents. It was Kirishima's birthday after all. The famous _Red Riot._ They had to at least make an exception, he was surprised that Kirishima hadn't won over all of the guards yet. Heck, he's probably saved their lives or their family's lives a time or two. That should be enough for him to be allowed to have a birthday present. There was no way he was going back after fighting to find Kirishima a present both worthy enough and safe enough to get past Kirishima's guards. "In a society like that what do you think happens to those who don't become heroes?" It was Kirishima's voice, still running around in his head even days after his first nightmares. It probably would've been better if the first dream decided to go on repeat, but instead it was morphing itself rapidly changing in an effort to be acknowledged. It took the form of Uraraka. It took a smaller form of the two of them combined disappearing without a trace. It even took on Deku's childhood form. All right, already, he got it. He would scream at his inner voice. It was driving him insane and begging for his attention. Something he didn't have time for. Katsuki glanced at the box, hoping that it wasn't crumbling under his grip. The guard nodded at him letting him pass. Katsuki opened the door, he could already see Kirishima's eyes beaming behind the glass.

"Uraraka?" Kirishima teased, his razor teeth brimming. It had surprised him the guards hadn't tried filing them. It was probably against human law considering they were part of him. Also, Kirishima was originally a hero and constantly on good behavior. "A present?"

"Uraraka's idea."

"Liar." Kirishima laughed noticing the bag over his shoulder.

"She might've sent her own. The guards said I had to open this one, but you can have the one I brought."

Kirishima stifled a laugh, "I'm not sure how gifts benefit while I'm here."

"Fine. They'll just have to stay at my place."

Kirishima's eyes widened, "I-"

"My place is just better."

Kirishima nodded, trying to suppress a grin, "And Uraraka?"

"It's not like we're together. And Deku still likes her." He grumbled. If he was going to be honest with anyone, it mine-as-well be Kirishima.

"If she chooses you there's no way you can stop her. Stop being so overprotective of him." Kirishima chided, the guard sliding him the poorly packaged present.

"I-I'm not fricken protective of Deku, he's capable of protecting himself now."

"It's still there Katsuki, it's not hard to tell how you've always been overprotective of him. He's outgrown most his self-destructive tendencies." Krisihima glanced down at his presents trying to suppress his smile, fangs quickly becoming on full display as he shredded the package, a tiny red dragon laid inside.  
"I'm not-"

Kirishima moved the dragon down into his lap, a hand placed on top of its head, "We're adults now and we need to act like it." He nodded

"Keep telling yourself that." Katsuki smiled, gathering the stuff up, "How do you feel about meeting with one of the lawyers Uraraka knows?"

Kirishima glanced at him, a flash of curiosity and hope quickly being suppressed. It was the look that made Kirishima run back to the gang that he rescued his sidekick from. Hope, but feeling as though that child knew better.

"She's thinking that if we can get your charges changed we could have you out in a month, but we need to talk to the lawyer first." Katsuki explained.

Kirishima fidgeted glancing towards his guard and dropping his voice to a whisper, "That's great, but I think something's wrong in this jail. I think they're experimenting on quirks and hoping to develop the ability for double-quirks like Todoroki's and other research."

"Then-"

"No, listen, explain to him that I need time, but figure out all the files while we're at it." Kirishima explained.

Katsuki nodded, receiving the dragon back and putting him in the bag that Uraraka had him bring, "They're going in your room."

Kirishima let out a hollow laugh, "I thought you were taking them back to your house?"

"I am."

Kirishima glanced at the desk, "I hope this investigation doesn't last long. And I want invitations to your wedding by the time I get out!"

Katsuki shook his head, "Fine. If you're right, you can supervisor our first date cupid."

"I'm telling you-"

"I know, and you know that there's no way that you're going to sit in here any longer then you have to."

Kirishima nodded as the guard approached and apologized that he would have to take him back even though its his birthday, "Let Uraraka pick out the curtains!"

"I can decorate too!" He shouted back, watching as Kirishima waved disappearing through the doorway in the back.

Katsuki sighed grabbing the bag and walking himself back to the car. There was still a thousand things raging through his mind. How he wanted to get Kirishima out or the fact that Kirishima could tell he liked Uraraka even from within those confines, even his patients scans from hours ago where he couldn't figure out what was wrong, but he knew it was something. They weren't faking all that pain. Or the fact that they were so vulnerable against who knows what. They had no idea who was attacking them, but the person who was attacking them knew everything about them and possibly were most of them were.

Katsuki thought back to little Elyon with a wide range of powers. Man, if whatever Kirishima thinks he got a whiff of got information of Elyon would he have his hands full.

"Earth to Katsuki, Earth to Katsuki"

He glanced towards Uraraka standing in front of him on the front step, "When'd you get here?"

"Just now, I asked if Kirishima's visiting hours are up? Did they let him at least hold his birthday presents?"

"Yeah." Katsuki said, letting his feet sink into the pavement.

"How about I drive? You're not looking too good."

"It's fine, I pulled overtime at the hospital the last two nights and can't figure out what's wrong with my patient."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I can't"

Uraraka nodded, "There's a beach over there." She laughed, twitching her head in the direction of the beach they were at. He'd be lying if he wasn't tempted to swing her into the car and floor it to that beach to do it all over again. It was a random impulse he thought he would regret. He didn't. Heck, he wanted to let his impulses run wild right now. He wanted to reach up, pressing his hand against her face, push all of that hair out of her face and kiss her. He wanted to grab her by the hips and straddle her against the car forgetting the rest of the world.

He needed to get that paperwork together for Kirishima so they could get a lawyer in there asap. And an official police investigation. "We should go home."

Uraraka nodded, unlocking the doors of her car and sliding in, "Hey…Katsuki, if…if you wanted to come back to my place..." She paused, her hand wrapping around her upper arm.

He turned walking towards her door leaning over it, and at such a hushed tone half-his graduating class would've fainted, he whispered, "Is something wrong?"

Uraraka pushed her way back out of the car, "The jail! It's on fire."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

This wasn't what he pictured, growing up, what his hero career would be like. Uraraka had darted out of his grip replacing it with her phone. She was supporting a whole building of burning people. Criminals. But people none-the-less. And Kirishima.

"Yes. Yes. Approximately five ambulances, three fire trucks, and enough containment units for the jail. Yes. I did. Yes."

It was frustrating, standing there, watching. Katsuki began digging around in his car for something he almost hated, but it kept his hands free. A collar. A communication device, really, but it was still a collar. Katsuki hooked it into his ear, tightened the collar, he pulled on the mask and threw Uraraka hers.

"I'm going in there."

"Remember, most of those people we probably put in there."

"I know, they'll be so happy to see me." Katsuki growled, proceeding to run into a building of people who probably hate him. Well, Kirishima was the first on his priority list.

The flames were worse then he thought they should've been, it was likely someone had a fire-type quirk within the jail. They would have to calm them down first.

Katsuki moved rubble out of his way, Uraraka's quirk would've been really helpful right now. But he knew the place would crumble around him if she left her post. She wasn't someone to just stand there. The place was probably nearing its infrastructure limits.

The red dragon laid underneath some rubble, "Kirishima, where are you?'

A rustle and a groan.

Katsuki moved more rubbish, flames beating their heat off of the walls.

"Don't come near!" A voice snapped.

Katsuki's eyes darted around the room, it was a familiar voice. In an unnerving way. Someone Kirishima had put in here for theft. "Fine, then you come to me."

"I can't."

Katsuki shoved another what-was-the-building out of his way, "then don't complain."

The person's leg was twisted, probably broken, and they were barely supporting a full piece of the wall from falling.

"Can you move?"

"I don't think that'd be wise." The person's eyes widened, examining him whoever, their free hand shifting to something next to them. A flash of red. Kirishima laid unconscious on the floor, his collar flashing. Another groan of pain. It was coming from him after all. The prisoner probably had so much adrenaline rushing through them they weren't able to feel their broken arm yet.

"If it weren't for the collar I think he would've been able to help both of us." The person made Kirishima disappear. Katsuki pushed the blocks out of the way, "Damn right. That collars going now." It crumbled under the heat of his hands, "Why'd you help him?"

"I know who he is. He'd help me. Or maybe it was my niece, her current favorite hero, maybe I just wanted an autograph. A bit laughable and strange, your favorite hero being a criminal." The man shrugged turning back to removing the wall. And failing.

"You better be able to walk. Uravity's outside doing the heavy lifting, I can't carry both of you." Katsuki moved picking Kirishima up, "why were you keeping him invisible?" It would be logical that a lot of the villains would already know who he was. But there was the other motive. Kirishima had put him in here after all.

The prisoner sighed, "I was put in here for petty theft, not murder. In-between being a pro-hero and a criminal, I think he's a being targeted for the quirk experimentation the guards are always whispering about."

Katsuki nodded, Kirishima was probably extremely close to the truth. It had been a good decision.

"Are there other's that can walk?" Katsuki glanced around the room, he needed a headcount on the remaining prisoners and their probably locations. He needed that guard. And he couldn't trust a prisoner with Kirishima's life, not while he was basically defenseless. Katsuki kicked some rubble out of the way. He glanced at the man, he probably couldn't move his free arm with the amount of blood that was dripping out. He pushed the rubble out of the doorway, "How are you holding up?" Katsuki let the man down next to Uraraka, "You even move funny and jail will be the least of your problems."

The man nodded. He was strangely compliant, but being rescued from a burning jail might do that to a person.

"Is that-?" Uraraka turned back to applying more pressure to the jail. Wait-No. She was supporting herself. Shit.

"Yeah, I'll be back." Where was that back-up he called? He reached up clicking on the collar, "ETA of back-up required. Three heroes on scene, one unconscious. One prisoner rescued, number of remaining unknown." Radio-silence, again. He flicked the switch, a waste of time. "Whatever you're doing drop it and get to the county jail." Katsuki growled.

The static flickered, "Give me five minutes. I'll be there."

That work-alcoholic, he should've known he was already working on saving this damn city. "Fine.' Katsuki growled, darting into a building of people who didn't want to be rescued. Most were likely looking to use the chaos as an escape. This was going to be a rough day.

After about an hour of searching he had rescued fifty prisoners, fought twelve, and the cavalry had finally arrived. In perspective only fighting twelve wasn't too bad, other then one had an acid quirk like pinky's which burned his shoe off. He had minor burns that could wait for treatment. Another door. He needed to find-finally a guard. That one that had shoved the lunch box into his hands, their arm spasming.

"If you can don't move it. It's probably broken." He sighed He was running low on bandages and didn't have enough supplies to make him a splint.

"My card won't give you clearances for this door. I've already tried." Katsuki glanced down to the guard's arm. In-between the guard's arm and the dents in the door he would have to assume that something was behind the door.

Katsuki nodded, burning the hinges and then the door knob. He was met with several prisoners: strapped to chairs, fading in and out of consciousness, the smell of burning, and papers laid askew a crossed the room. No wonder the place on fire. He would'v3e wanted to burn the place down too. Whoever was here was long gone now.

It took another hour to clear the prisoners and another two after that to gather remaining evidence. The fire was out in five hours.

"Uravity, fires out and the place has been swept twice."

"Are you sure? You got everyone?"

Katsuki smiled, she was so efficient, "Everyone's out."

Uraraka nodded releasing her quirk and dropping onto all fours. Deku swung around at the noise, panicking in his usual manner.

"Move, Deku." Katsuki sighed, kneeling beside her and pulling her hair out of her face, "You did good."

Uraraka nodded, a glow in her eyes, ' _damn right I did.'_

"How's Kirishima?"

Katsuki glanced at her side. He was breathing, blood wiped off his head and arm bandaged, likely not broken, but strained. "Who checked his vitals?"

"I did, every ten minutes. He's stable, but still needs proper care. I wasn't going to let them take him in this chaos."

"How'd you accomplish that?"

"I told them I'd bring the whole place down and then their way of escape."

"And I thought you were the hero."

"I am-" Uraraka paused, getting sick again, "it's been a while since I got this sick."

"I'm taking you two back to my place."

Uraraka nodded, stumbling to stand. He caught her, "You can't carry us both."

"I'll support you, the way you supported me."

Deku glanced between them, he turned, "I'll make the formal report."

Katsuki nodded, loading the three of them into the car. He knew Deku was playing ignorant, he had seen his eyes slide towards Kirishima. There was no way he was letting Kirishima out of sight. If the police wanted him, they'd have to show up at his door and fight him.

Katsuki carried Kirishima up the stairs, glancing at Uraraka still leaning on his car, "You can get a shower first, it's on the right. I'll get you a towel."

Uraraka nodded, darting into the bathroom, she was puking again. He should've known she'd get such an extensive back lash for holding up a collapsing building for hours on end.

He set Kirishima on the couch, heading to the kitchen. He flicked on the stove, grabbed a Gingerale, a water, a towel on the way back, and set them in front of the bathroom door.

He headed back to the kitchen pouring water on his face as an attempt to wash-up before switching back to cooking dinner. He was sure he had medicine for nausea somewhere in this kitchen. He would need painkiller too.

The shower shut off and he could hear her feet pad against the floor towards the kitchen, "Um, Katsuki, I-uh-"

"What is it already?' He snapped spinning around.

Uraraka was standing there in a towel above her knees that barely covered her.

Katsuki spun back around hoping the scream of the stove overpowered the one of his brain. "I've got clean shirts next to the couch where Kirishima is." Katsuki stated, fidgeting with the stove. Attempting to make his mind create a distraction, instead of letting it wonder, wondering how smooth her skin would be, his fingers buzzing with the desire to touch to test their theory. He ran a hand through his hair, he had seen just as much skin as that before, he didn't understand why now his brain wanted to know these thoughts. Damn it. He knew her skin was smooth. Why was his brain begging him to reach over and touch her? Damn. The distractions weren't properly coming through.

Katsuki lit the stove up again. He flicked the stove off. Come on. A distraction. A thought anything, like how did Kirishima know about the illegal quirk experimentations? Wait-

"Uraraka, don't get close to Kirishima." Katsuki darted into the living room, between the two. Kirishima's eyes opening immediately he lunched for the first silhouette he saw. Katsuki clenched his teeth the pain searing through his back. Kirishima's quirk had never hurt this much when training, but he was never aiming to pierce the flesh either.

He squished Uraraka against himself, pushing them away from Kirishima.

"Morning to you too." Katsuki snapped, watching Kirishima's eyes widen, registering what he had just done.

"This is the police, open up!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"This is the police open up!" A loud bang came to the door. Katsuki hissed, they were the last thing he needed right now. Katsuki glanced around at his situation. He was holding Uraraka, just barely in a towel against him, Kirishima had his quirk activated, and blood was rushing down his own back. There was no way he could let the police in at this point.

Uraraka glanced towards the door, then back towards the two of them, blood rushing down Katsuki's back, "Take him to the bathroom, I'll get it." She whispered.

"You're just in a towel." Kirishima hissed.

"And that's fine, if it comes to it I'll kick everybody asses in a towel, wouldn't be the first time."

Katsuki sniffled a snort. It was probably true, she lived in a rough area of town for a reason. She was instantly in the action and helping the people that needed help. It's what she liked about the area was how fast she was able to get to work.

"Get yourselves into the bathroom now." Uraraka hissed. Katsuki nodded. He didn't want to do what she was telling him, but she was right. If either of them were caught they would both be doomed.

Katsuki clicked the bathroom door shut, glancing around the bathroom. He never needed a big space, it had only been him living alone after all. He didn't plan on suddenly needing to hide people. He was a hero, after all, he had no reason to hide.

The knocking came again, "I'm coming, I'm coming, do you have any common decency?" Uraraka's voice boomed. At least her being in a towel would add to the effect of their blatant rudeness. She slid the door open. A high-pitched noise came from the door.

"Stay in the tub." Katsuki hissed pushing Kirishima back and darting towards the door. Sure, she could handle herself, but this was his house and he wasn't going to hide from any police. Not with all that he had done for each of them. They could cut him some slack and at least show up in the morning. "

He was greeted with Deku's back, arms wrapped around his head, face glowing bright red. "Wh-wha-what are you doing here? I'm sure it's Katsuki's place."

"It is. I was taking a shower." Uraraka sighed, red obvious on her face, as she tightened the towel. Obviously, it wasn't who she was suspecting. She likely had been trying to get the cops to leave through embarrassment. Deku wasn't who she was suspecting at all.

"But Katsuki's-"

"I know he's home."

Katsuki sighed. "Kirishima's in the bathroom, just ask him to get out." Uraraka nodded heading back to the bathroom. Katsuki sighed, turning to his current problem: Deku. His personality was starting to curve in a bad way. He was starting to get brave with him. "Why the heck are you here?'

"I mean everyone else is here I see."

"Deku"

Midoyria sighed, shuffling, and handing him a bunch of paperwork, "I figured that you wouldn't want to go to the police station since you're obviously harboring a criminal. I sorted some things out for them and they stay during the time being that Kirishima can stay with you, but he's under house arrest."

"How long?" Katsuki turned the page, skimming the files. There wasn't much else than basic laws and terms and conditions that he didn't need to read. All cliché things saying he was responsible for Kirishima and that if Kirishima darted it was his responsibility to catch him, but also serve jail time with him.

"They say it's going to take another month or two to sort out where to put all the criminals. They are also looking at rescheduling court cases for the ones that came willingly as an act of goodwill. I talked to the police and one of the officers noticed that you two took him. Out of an act of goodwill and the fact that Kirishima had saved some of them back in the day, they put him on the list."

Katsuki sighed. It was the first good news that Deku had come to his door within a long time. "I'll get Uraraka's lawyer."

Deku reddened, he turned away.

"Don't just stand there. Get inside already." Katsuki snapped, slamming the door closed behind Deku. Kirishima was standing in the living room, staring at the blood that patched the floor. "I was planning on changing that stupid carpet anyway." He grumbled walking past him into the kitchen. Where the first aid box was kept.

He shuffled through the boxes looking for the first aid box. It wasn't too often that he needed to use it on himself, so it wasn't out very often in his own home. Uraraka walked back in, one of his bigger shirts down to just above her knees. "Sit, I'll do it."

He nodded moving at her command.

"I-"

"It's the least I can do if I'm going to be staying the night." I don't need your complaints or your thanks. She knew the worlds he was going to say before they left his mouth.

Katsuki glanced towards the window, "You're going to stay the night?"

Uraraka's smile twitched in her reflection, as though he said something odd, "well I can't exactly leave with just your shirt on. And it's not like I can't put my old clothes back on."

"I'll stop by your place and pick some things up in the morning."

Red lined her cheeks, but her voice refused to betray her, "We're adults here. I'm sure we can handle staying at each other's places for the night."

She paused being quiet as she fixed the bandages, running her fingers up around a scar closer to his spin. He snatched her wrist, "Don't."

The red lined her face, again, "Sorry, I didn't realize it hurt."

"It doesn't." He was glad that she hadn't figured out to look in the window yet. He didn't want her to see him flustered.

Kirishima strolled in, "About sleeping arrangements…" He paused glancing between the two of them and shooting Katsuki an _"I was Right Look"_ before strolling back to the living room.

"Get your ass back here!" Katsuki snapped, accidentally sliding his first aid kit off the table, it clattered to the floor sending the equipment in several directions. Katsuki sighed picking the items up. "I'm going to give Kirishima the couch and you, my bed." It wasn't as though Kirishima was stable-minded enough to bunk up with anyone currently. Plus, he wouldn't of given that task to Uraraka, but having her sleep on the couch didn't quite settle well with him.

"Where will you sleep?"

"The floor where else?" He snapped, turning back to Uraraka, she was fidgeting.

"It is your home. I don't want you to sleep on the floor." Her face reddened as she turned away from him, moving towards what he was cooking for dinner, "We can share." She muttered.

"What?"

"We can share, dammit, don't make me repeat it!" Katsuki moved to the fridge, chucking her a tomato. "This doesn't go-Katsuki!" She shouted attempting to throw the tomato back at him. "I don't look like a tomato! Fine sleep on the floor for all I care." Katsuki flipped the stove off and dished everyone out. "Kirishima, are you okay with sleeping on the couch?" It folded out into a bed, but he wasn't sure how Kirishima would feel about being so close the living room being near the door.

"It's not like I can complain, man. It's the first time I've seen anything remotely resembling the outside in a long time. And having a bed and not a cot is going to be a luxury."

"Where's Deku?"

"He left already after giving me my new anklet."

They ate and moved to their respective rooms. Katsuki walked over locking the door, "No one comes by too often. The only one who knocks is the senile lady from three doors down. Don't open the door. If anyone comes by get me."

Kirishima nodded, sending him a wink as he headed back to his room. Katsuki sent him the finger, before shutting the door behind himself. He glanced towards his bed, Uraraka already seemingly asleep on it. At least she was pretending to sleep. He wished that made it easier to bring himself into bed. He struggled not to toss and turn throughout the night in an attempt to wake her. Katsuki rolled over finding her looking right at him.

"This isn't working. I can't sleep."

"I told you I'd take the floor."

"I don't want you to take the floor."

"Have you ever considered our relationship?" Katsuki rolled onto his back, placing his arms behind his head. With how his mind had been begging him to touch her earlier in the kitchen it was the only safe place for his hands. Uraraka lifted her head, waiting for him to continue.

"How so?"

"Never mind, why should I have to explain it?"

Uraraka sat up, rolling herself on top of him in one swift motion, "How so?"

Any other time she would've had him pinned, she had become an expert in hand-to-hand combat since graduating high school, but right now he was immensely distracted. And she likely wasn't focused completely on pinning him down. She, to an extent, felt safe with him. "How unorthodox it is"

She glanced away, recognizing her situation and refusing to make eye contact.

"You're not only sleeping over, but you're in my bed."

"Have you considered maybe I just like your bed and am trying to steal it?"

Katsuki shot her a smirk, glancing at her position. Heat lit her face, he half-expected her to remove herself. He was already expecting that he had won this argument until she laid one on him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Breakfast was on fire the way his hands sometimes were. Except breakfast wasn't something that was supposed to be on fire and couldn't quite take the heat. "Yo, man what are you doing?" Kirishima shouted reaching to take the pan. Katsuki be lying if he said that she hadn't taken him by surprise, although he had dreamt of her kissing him, he would've never bet on it in a thousand years. That woman had the confidence of an a thousand-solider army that was being led into battle against an island of small ruffians. A single tree island. They knew they would win. They weren't thinking about the battle ahead they were plotting dinner. He shooed Kirishima away from the pan. He had promised a decent breakfast and a decent breakfast they were all getting. Besides if breakfast had to be trashed it was going to be trashed to his liking. He didn't remember sleeping, but he did remember dreaming of a night from several years ago drunkenly dragging Uraraka off onto the dance floor. He remembered spinning her until he blacked out. It had been a good night.

Something clattered in the living room. Katsuki turned off the stove beginning to head for the living room, "Kirishima are you okay?" Uraraka crossed the living room, Kirishima was on the floor along with several frames from one of his shelves and some plates. Only one was broken.

"Yeah, I-I slipped." Kirishima smiled up towards her, un-shuffling from his premature burial.

Katsuki glanced towards the frame underneath Kirishima's hand. It had to be the one with the picture of him, Kirishima, and Raiz. Katsuki turned back to the kitchen. Maybe he should've considered putting it away when bringing him back to the house. It wasn't the first thing that was on his mind at the moment and he'd be lying if he said that it hadn't crossed his mind a couple of times throughout the night. He had an excuse for every reason not to go get it and put it away. Maybe it was cruel to leave the picture out right in front of where Kirishima was sleeping. "I'll put it away."

"I don't mind." Kirishima pulled the picture up to his face, "It's been almost a year since I've seen his face. I guess I was just startled because I didn't expect you to have pictures throughout the room."

Uraraka leaned down glancing the picture over, "That was Raiz right?"

"I'm surprised you remembered his face, you only met once or twice."

Katsuki returned to the kitchen dishing out breakfast. He hadn't remembered Raiz and Uraraka ever meeting. And it was a rarity for Kirishima to take Raiz out without back-up. They commonly worked in a unit of three. Primarily it was Raiz, Kirishima, and himself. Maybe there had been a day or two where they went out without him.

"Yeah, I met him at a party once, he was a bit lost. Remember when you accidentally handed him the wrong drink?"

Kirishima let a laugh escape, "Yeah, how could I not? He thought I was his sister the whole night. Do you know how hard it was to get him to listen to me?"

Kirishima's eyes darted back down to the picture in his hands. Katsuki set the plates on the coffee table in front of the couch, "If you're not going to pick up the mess than eat breakfast."

Kirishima nodded grabbing the plate that was in front of him. Katsuki slid another to Uraraka. "How are we getting so far in the investigation?" Kirishima glanced down at the food, pushing the omelet around on the table.

"How much do you know?"

"I know you and Uraraka were looking into a possible attack on the class. Is everyone safe? Does everyone know?"

Katsuki glanced towards Uraraka, that wasn't a clear explanation he didn't know where to start. But that likely meant that Kirishima knew enough to defend himself and no more. Katsuki found himself thrown back to the night at the beach for an entirely different reason then what Uraraka's presence did to him. _Deku._ Deku standing in the doorway that night, throwing paperwork in his face. Raiz. He felt his skin boil. Someone was posing as Raiz. Katsuki glanced towards Kirishima, "There was a pile of paperwork Deku brought to me a while back. In some of the pictures, it looked like Raiz was there."

Kirishima nodded, "Where's the paperwork now?"

Uraraka walked into the other room, coming back with a pile three times the size it was then last time she had seen it. She sorted the paperwork, removing the permissions for the access to files from the evidence.

Kirishima glanced around the paperwork, picking up the picture of a drug deal. "How old is this picture?"

"Less than a year."

Kirishima's face darkened, "Something's not right. If you see they're markings that's the old gang that Raiz was born into, but on the roof is Raiz." Kirishima knew that they had noticed Raiz was there, but the gang was a new thing. "And this drug deal was a setup. The ones that were arrested wore trackers to get into a prison. You can see it on their ankles right here."

Uraraka glanced to the pictures where Kirishima was pointing, "How would you know all that?"

"The ones that knew about Raiz…they were there with me. They were proud of Raiz for being able to get out of there. Sure, each of them had conflicting opinions, but they….they told me that Raiz had always looked happiest when helping people. So, you can imagine that I was taken under their wing."

"But why would he be there?"

Kirishima glanced over the picture again, "This alley, these people. They're all people you know Katsuki. If the police hadn't shown up first." Kirishima reached for Katsuki's phone. He nodded unlocking it letting Kirishima page through it. "Your typical route for that night." Kirishima flipped from the calendar to the maps application, lining the route out, "And where the drug deal went down. With all rather powerful gang members." Kirishima circled a building near the end. "And then there's this." Kirishima tapped on the person that looked like Raiz. "It was a trap. They're after you."

"They've attacked each of you. That doesn't make-"

"Katsuki wait."

"They might've attacked each of us, but Katsuki you were there one each night."

Kirishima was right. He had been there on each night, it was no secret that after getting his hero's license he was a bit of a busy-body. And it was no secret whom he didn't mind working with. Heck, even the scar that ran up Uraraka's neck was probably his-no it was their fault- Katsuki glanced over towards his coat. He would have to start looking for these people and give them a piece of his mind. They had killed Raiz, thrown Kirishima in jail, given Uraraka that scar, and attempted to throw him in jail to. These people were smart and deadly, but their time was running out.

"But that doesn't make sense. If their goal was to get _into_ the prison. Why would they target Katsuki?"

"Doesn't mean they had just one goal. And don't expect that the gang members were completely honest with a former hero, comrade's ally or not."

Katsuki glanced towards his breakfast, he was eating the slower than the rest of them, he scarfed. He wanted to get to work and get this whole case behind them.

"The question is what do we do next?"

"We visit that gang and give them a piece of our minds."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

It had taken them several taxing hours to find the new location of the gang that Katsuki had previously pummeled, but they had finally found it. The only thing that would have made the find more satisfying was having Kirishima there with him. He had to consider two things since it had only taken them several hours to find this gang. It was one gang that should absolutely fear his rage and should've been at his doorstep pleading to quell his rage; they knew their days were numbered. The two things that he was considering: Either this way a trap or they were incredibly, incredibly stupid. Either way, he couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when he dropped straight into the center of their meeting place.

Uraraka lowered herself on the building nearest to the one they planned on invading, observing the situation, she pulled him down to her, "I know you were never the most patient, but you're smarter than you let on. Use that brain of yours." She hissed. He stifled a chuckle, it wasn't unusual for him to receive a scolding from Uraraka.

"Even if there are some guards, we can take them."

"I'm trying to prevent anyone from escaping. We're going to capture them and interrogate each one."

He nodded, that sounded fair. If one escaped, knowing his luck, it'd be the one with the information that they were looking for. Kirishima had clearly been against this attack, their luck hadn't been panning out so far. Also, he wanted to help. And being unable to leave the house didn't leave much room for helping. So, instead Kirishima got stuck with a laptop and a couple hours of Netflix instead. "I want the one that looks like Raiz." He hissed, complying to her as she pulled him down. He may have had a temper but this was one thing he couldn't afford to lose control of.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm going to smash their face in, ask them if they'd like to switch with the rightful owner, and then give them to Raiz as an offering."

Uraraka nodded, taking another preliminary glance at the border, "Sounds fair enough. Do you see anyone? It's like there's no one guarding the place." As much as he would've liked the idea of an easy entry, it made him uneasy. Katsuki glanced over his shoulder. No one was behind them. And they were each quite stealthy, it was unlikely that they had been discovered.

"Nothing's going to get done if we just sit here all night. For all we know we're looking at an empty building." He hissed.

"I know, calm down." She pulled him down again, just in time for a small group to dance their way up the sidewalk. There were approximately five people, three seemed as though they were having a good time, two took up the back of the group-wait- there was one more. She was only about a head shorter than the rest of them but being surrounded by taller people had made it easier for her to hide. Uraraka bristled next to him, her nails clawed into the cement of the building's rooftop.

"What is it?" The words didn't have time to leave his mouth before he realized what pissed her off so extravagantly: At the back of the pack trailing slowly behind as either the guard or a reluctant addition to the group was a male just above his twenties, hair swept neatly to the side, hands in his pocket, spitting on the street as though he hated this world. If he didn't seem as though he hated the world he could've passed for a model. But on a more important matter, he was the spitting image of Raiz.

Katsuki stood. He was going to beat his face in until the person couldn't steal anyone's identity ever again. He had, had enough of shapeshifters in high school to last a lifetime. He didn't need to deal with this matter on a personal level.

"Katsuki, slowly, we don't want them escaping."

He nodded. Oh, there would be no escaping for any of them tonight. They were going to be on the news for largest gang roundup in the last ten years tomorrow morning. Largest gang roundup with the most injuries, but largest gang roundup none-the-less. "Round them up, we'll pile them and interrogate them the way they would us."

Uraraka glared towards him, "Katsuki, I know you're mad, but we've still got to obey the laws."

"Obey the laws, huh?" He shot her a look. She was the one illegally digging through paperwork when everyone's backs were turned.

"Paperwork laws and laws against torture are totally different things!" She snapped.

"I'll compromise, everyone's left untouched until police arrive except the guy with Raiz's face. I need to remove it."

Uraraka nodded, grabbing his wrist, and lowering them quietly to follow the group. They turned heading into the building that they had been staking out. They had been right after all. This is where that gang was hiding. They were some version of stupid, alright. They had a bone to pick with him, and he had one to pick with them.

Katsuki broke down the building's door surveying the area, half the gang looked up startled, the other half dropped what they were holding. Uraraka moved flinging herself into combat, her hands rapidly brushing each member of the gang as she darted from member to member. It seemed to be a dance she was familiar with. With anyone else, it would've seemed as though they were a form of a ruffian, but with her, with her, her attacks were so reformed and with ease against each gang member it was a dance. She graced each of their presences, taking two at a time. The gang let out sounds of being startled and other's attempted to recollect their baring's to what was going on. Katsuki threw himself into the mess, he and Uraraka were going hit-for-hit with each of the gang members.

After several minutes Katsuki glanced towards the group towards the back of the warehouse. The woman stood up, glancing around at her entourage. The five members that hadn't lifted a finger to save the rest of the gang.

Uraraka raised her hand turning to the group, "Unless you want me to drop all of them on their heads surrender."

"I thought we were only going to torture one of them." He glanced towards her.

"Being beaten into unconsciousness and torture are two different things. Sometimes people just don't know how to land on their feet." Uraraka shrugged her shoulders, glancing at the gang members struggle to get a form of a foothold. If someone hadn't stolen Raiz face just to irritate him he likely would've laughed at what Uraraka just said. But right now-

"I know what you're here for." The center of the group laughed, reaching up and pulling Raiz's face down to hers, "I would give up on him though."

"Don't," Uraraka whispered, a moment too late, and a moment too quiet.

Katsuki darted towards the group, they were all going down like dominos. The first two went down without a problem and stayed down. He darted towards the third one. The third one not even bothering to throw their arms up in defense. A wild smile crossed his face, this one was going to be a bit more of a challenge. He made contact, the third one crumbled underneath his fist as though he hit a wall of KitKats. Made to be broken. Katsuki glanced towards the three on the floor, still conscious, but not bothering to get up. The three just stared at the roof as if they didn't have anything better to do. Or a college student fried on studying for finals. He didn't have time for them, he glared towards the woman that was at the center of the group. She seemed older, maybe she was just short from what he could perceive at a distance. Her hand hadn't left the person impersonating Raiz's cheek.

"What are you three doing? Stop playing and defend me!" She snapped. Katsuki glanced towards the three on the floor. They began rising with more intent then they had before he knocked them down.

Uraraka swung a leg at the two behind him, knocking them into the nearest wall. She swiped the handcuffs from her pocket, immobilizing the two of them. "What are you doing? Quit playing." She snapped, her eyes darting towards the gang members she kept on the roof. They were beginning to stabilize on their feet and adjust to being floated around.

"I'll take it from here. Take care of them."

Uraraka nodded, darting away to finish capturing her targets. He turned back to his group. The stupid woman was dragging her tongue down the imposter's face. He knew she was trying to piss him off, she was looking right at him. He knew it was an imposter. It still pissed him off. What he also he knew is that his anger would only be quenched by punching both of their faces in. Heck, she was lucky that she brought an entourage for him to take his rage out on first. "Lady, you're lucky you've got a group that likes you this much." He hissed.

"It has nothing to do with it." She laughed, glancing towards the two in front of her. "Get him." The front two darted towards him. He swung, they went down, they rose again, he swung again.

"Just stay down. You're exhausted." He sighed looking at the two of them. The two on-slaughters looked as though they were about to puke. They were weak, untrained, and hadn't been taking care of their bodies. "You can't handle me."

"I know." The front-left whispered, sitting up and coughing.

"Simon, dear, shut up."

The man's jaw clamped shut, he almost seemed as though he were lurched forwards with the command. Shock and panic echoing in his eyes, followed by frustration and anger. Katsuki whacked him sending him flying against the wall. Enough to make him unconscious.

"Dammit, you rattled his brain." The woman stood up, moving to go after Simon. A quirk similar to Shinso's then? Katsuki glanced towards Raiz's imposter. He would have to knock some sense into that one then.

One of the guards on her other side moved, "I'll get him."

"Atta boy, you've always been my favorite."

"I like my life."

The woman laughed, returning to her chair, a glance towards Raiz.

"So, which one of your lackeys do you want me to take next?" Katsuki laughed baiting her.

The woman laughed, "You can't take any of them. They can't leave." She laughed, following that with a sigh, then reaching up to the imposter's neck lowering him to her height and whispering in his ear. Katsuki glanced towards Raiz, he almost seemed as if he were crying. A face pleading for help.

"My lady, are you sure you want to send him to the field? After what happened last time?" The assistant moving the body asked from a crossed the room. Katsuki glanced towards the man. His eyes widened, he hid it quickly. The man across the room wasn't breathing. He knew he hadn't flung him that hard. The man hadn't even made a sound when he made contact with the wall.

"Uravity." He glanced back towards the situation. She had tied all of them up and was smart enough to keep the majority in the air.

She glanced towards him, clapping her hands against each other, "If any of you try to move I'll throw you all outside! I've thrown things more things into orbit than there are days in a year and I don't have a quarrel with doing that to people with the mood I'm in. Do you understand?"

The group nodded, rapidly.

"Raiz, now, dammit." The woman snapped, pushing the twenty-year-old onto the battlefield. He glanced around rapidly as if looking for an exit, but his feet moved him forwards towards Katsuki.

Katsuki cracked his knuckles, "Sorry, bud, but you've got the face of someone important to me on. And it's bringing back some bad memories. I've got a buddy at home that just spent the last several months in jail instead of being properly cared for and I'm going to take it out on you." He hissed, Uraraka drew to his side.

"The others?"

"The body, his vitals, emergency medical treatment."

"You didn't."

"Wasn't my fault."

She sighed moving towards the two moving the body.

Katsuki surveyed his situation subtracting the gang members that were floating in the air there were seven left. The two unconscious on the floor, the body that was being moved, the two moving the body, the woman, and Raiz's imposter.

He turned back to Raiz's imposter, "Also, I promised the owner of that body you as a sacrifice tonight."

The imposter let out a hollow laugh, "I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate the offering, but he would appreciate the thought and think that was such your style."

"You've got to add your own personal touch to gifts." Katsuki raised his hands, he was never much of one for hand-to-hand combat, but he'd let it go in Raiz's honor tonight.

The imposter raised their eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

"Raiz." The woman behind him hissed.

The imposter lurched flinging himself towards him. The imposter went hit-for-hit throwing himself at Katsuki in the most dangerous ways possible. It was as if they knew all the spots to avoid when fighting him and were aiming for them anyway. The hits were heavy, they were coming from someone who likely had either trained to be a hero previously or trained in a field of martial arts. They were missing vital spots on purpose, "I've got one question for you."

"Fire, it's not like I'm able to stop you." Katsuki blocked another hit. It would've been a heavy blow to the head, but it was lighter than he would've thought.

The imposter lowered their voice, "Have you checked Raiz grave lately?"

"You didn't." He hissed, sending the imposter several tiles back.

The woman stood glancing towards the windows, "Leave Simon. Back to me, now. Raiz, stop playing with the man. Hurt him."

The imposter swung a hit, Katsuki felt his feet remove themselves from the floor. He hit the wall side first. Katsuki glanced around the group was gone, all except the body that Uraraka was working on in a steady panic. Katsuki glanced up towards the group still in the air, it was likely strenuous on her. The wail of sirens approaching echoed outside. He moved towards Uraraka, with how she was working, she needed help.

"Come on, come on, dammit." Uraraka moved her hands, pushing on the man's chest multiple times. "Come on." She hissed. "Come on." She whispered, another beat.

Katsuki pushed his way in, she willingly moved aside letting him take his turn. "He's likely bleeding somewhere we can't stop, we don't have the supplies we need to save him here." He lowered his head listening to the man's heart rate: silence. He moved his hands pressing on it again.

Fifteen minutes passed. He was still pressing against the man's chest. Uraraka wrapped a hand around his wrist, "Katsuki." She whispered.

"Move, I'm working."

"Katsuki."

"Don't distract me."

She wrapped her arms around his head, "Katsuki, he's dead." Tears ran down her face dripping into his hair.

"No, I still have another twenty-two minutes."

"Katsuki, he's cold. He's not goi-" Her voice cut off, she couldn't finish the sentence. She knew what this meant. He lifted his hand wrapping it around her arm. He could feel her shaking, she was panicking just as much as he was.

The police descended the stairs, flashlights beaming as they darted in. The police hurried quickly gathering and sending away the gang members to the proper location before moving towards where the two of them were. Uraraka stood, "I'll-"

He grabbed her wrist, "I'll take care of the report and the situation. You go home and tell Kirishima." He lowered his head. Kirishima would be livid. He likely would leave the house, Uraraka was going to need to stop him. It wasn't like he was framed this time. He had made this decision. The officer glanced down towards the body in front of him.

"This is going to be a long night." He sighed.

"You and me both, buddy. Get me an ambulance, we've got another twenty minutes to attempt a resurrection."

The officer lowered himself next to the man on the floor, shining a flashlight over him, "It's better if you don't resurrect this one."

"Huh?" He grabbed the officer's collar, "what did you just say?"

The officer raised his hands, "This is the third time this month I've seen this man buried. He's been dead since three years ago."

Katsuki let the collar slip from his hand, "I didn't kill him?"

The officer shook his head, "Bodies that have been dead that long shouldn't even be as preserved as this. Most are frail. I don't know what's going on, but it's super weird. I'll tell them not to bury him again and we'll watch him for a bit. We'll take him to the hospital again, but the mortician is going to bury me next for bringing him in again."

Katsuki let his face fall into his hands. He had always known he was aggressive, but he had never been faced with the idea of accidentally killing someone while he was out on the field. He knew his quirk was powerful and was always super careful in regulating everything he did. That one time, that one slip of the hand could've been his and someone else's end.

Uraraka helped him up, they stood up slowly. He glanced towards her. "It's been a long day let's go home." She whispered, moving him towards the door before he could consent to be moved. She slid into the driver's seat.

"I'll drive." He shuffled out of the passenger seat. She had already gotten him into the passenger's seat again, he didn't want to live the eighteen-wheeler incident all over again.

"Katsuki, let me drive," Uraraka said, starting up the car before he could open the door. Her hands tightened on the wheel, he could almost see her claw marks within it. "I'll get you a new one." She whispered, loosening her grip. They drove in silence.

"There's somewhere I want to go. Take this route up ahead."

She nodded, complying, probably also noticing the similarities to the night that the eighteen-wheeler hit them. She pulled the car to a stop, glancing towards him, "Aizawa-sensei's again?" She whispered.

"He'll raise up from the dead if he knew what I was doing tonight. So, no. Not tonight."

Uraraka shot him a strange look, but it was too late, he was already out of his car popping open his trunk. He pulled the shovel he used to bury Raiz with out.

"Katsuki?" She whispered, genuine concern crossing her face. She was right to be concerned, this was a daunting task. He had put Raiz in the grave on pure rage and adrenaline. Right now, he needed to find down there what he had been wishing he had never put down there for months. Katsuki climbed the hill searching for where he had put him. He glanced towards Aizawa's grave, rushing past it before the yellow sleeping bag could explode through with an explosion of fury. Aizawa would throw him in the grave as a punishment for what he was about to do. "Katsuki, don't," Uraraka whispered, she had already figured out what he came to do.

Katsuki stuck the shovel in the grave, spending the next several hours pouring away at the grave. He moved the dirt, he didn't bother looking at Uraraka. He didn't want to be doing this, but he needed to know. He didn't want her to witness him destroying Raiz's grave. She hadn't said a word to him, simply stood there, watching. Hours passed and the sun was starting to rise when he finally hit the bottom:

The grave was empty.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Katsuki let out a breath, his breath beginning to form a cloud of its own in the frigid air. He was coming down from the anger, but it wasn't enough to steal his motivation. Katsuki squat on the rooftop, watching any possible alleyways that that incredibly, incredibly stupid gang must've moved to. They were going to feel his fury in full force. Like they should've several years ago. Something hit him in the head. Katsuki looked down towards a ball of snow.

"What the heck was that for?" He snapped turning towards Todoroki.

"A cooldown, now what are you doing out here?"

Katsuki turned back to the streets.

"Kirishima told me what you're doing out here. You're not wrong to be looking for him, but you're wrong to be doing it on your own. I thought you were going to trust me."

"I only told you about the situation, so you could protect your wife and kid."

Todoroki sighed, "We both know that Momo is perfectly capable of protecting herself. You on the other hand, right now, you need help."

Katsuki scoffed, "I'm not the one that needs help right now."

Todoroki slid up next to him, quietly sitting by him as he eyed the streets, "I know how you feel, but at the rate you've been going you're going to get sick."

"I only found out about him yesterday."

Todoroki sighed, "Listen, you've been going like this way before knowing about Raiz. You've been going like this since right before Uraraka got injured. The rate you've been doing hours is getting worrisome and on top of that don't think that we don't know about your pastime of working at the hospital."

Katsuki glared into the streets. Todoroki knew. Todoroki knew how important this was. There was no reason that Todoroki should be out here attempting to stop him. "Raiz is out there alive, but literally decomposing do you know how much pain he must be in? And then he's being forced to commit crimes that he was ready to dedicate his life to stopping."

"Katsuki, you're killing yourself. Raiz wouldn't want this. You can't be out here all night looking for that man."

He grabbed Todoroki's collar, "He's not a man, he's a child. He died before he was even eighteen years old. A _child._ I am outside looking for a child."

Todoroki sighed, placing a hand on his wrist, "Listen. I understand how you feel. I would've burnt this city if anything were to happen to Elyon, but you're the one that's still alive right now. And I know Kirishima should be the one up here talking you down off this roof, but Kirishima is trapped at your house struggling just as much as you right now. Worse, even. Kirishima can't leave. He needs you."

"I know that, don't act like I don't, but Raiz also needs me."

"Kirishima is the one where you know where he is," Todoroki glanced towards the rising sun, "If you're not going to listen to me at least get down off this ledge before the police call me to escort you off it in the morning." Todoroki stuffed his hands in his pocket, beginning to walk away.

Katsuki tightened his hand into a fist. How was he supposed to explain this feeling? He could still feel Raiz's body as he moved him into a grave, the night made sure he was never able to forget, it came back clearly each day. Refining its details. A day he wished he could've forgotten, but it wasn't going anywhere. It was sneaking into even the smallest crevasse of his life. It was easy to hide, but that didn't make it easy to deal with. It was frustrating. And now, he was alive. What was he supposed to do with this information? Asking him to simply sit there was out of the question, that had never been in his nature in the first place.

Katsuki glanced towards Todoroki over his shoulder, he was ready to step off the ledge to the ladder. "Kirishima…" Todoroki silenced himself beginning to go down the ladder, assuming he wasn't told. There were questions that Todoroki wasn't saying running a crossed his face, but he kept quiet.

"Yo, icy-hot, finish what you were saying."

"Kirishima said that Uraraka didn't come back last night either."

Katsuki tightened his fist. "She probably just went home."

"Her keys are still at your place. I'll probably have to find her too." Todoroki sighed, glancing at the sky. Katsuki followed his gaze, it wasn't the first time he had seen Todoroki do this. Todoroki frequently glanced at the sky throughout high-school, glancing at something that he couldn't quite see.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Todoroki moved, taking his time to sit down on the ledge of the building next to him.

"Get rid of the bad memories. Fight them off."

Todoroki brushed his hair-no-his hand moved towards his scar. "It's not easy. Sometimes there are good days and sometimes it just sneaks up on you. There's no sure-fire way to combat it. I haven't decided if it's harder when there's no trigger yet, it just comes in on its own. If there was a trigger for some of the things, then it'd be easier to avoid."

Katsuki ran a hand through his bangs, "Dang. No way to just punch something."

"It might help."

Katsuki glanced towards him. That was a first. Todoroki actually agreeing with him. Todoroki pat himself off standing up on the ledge casting a lance glance over it, "The sun is rising, they probably won't come out tonight. I've got to go find Uraraka."

"Have you tried calling her?"

"She's been moving rapidly, I've been to her company a couple times to find where she was supposed to be. Apparently, she came back and checked in a couple hours ago but never went home." Todoroki shuffled something out of his pocket.

Katsuki caught it, "What's this?"

"Her sleeping pills. Since you two seem so close give them to her when she gets back to your place and tell her to call her company."

Katsuki stood up, "What's it for?"

"People have different ways they struggle with their problems. They're sleeping pills and the company was freaking out, so I'd assume she hasn't slept in a while."

"She was just over at my place-" Katsuki cut short, she had made a move, but when he turned she was already asleep. Or at least faking it. Her spot wasn't as warm as it should've been that morning. Katsuki's hand tightened on the bottle, he should've noticed.

"See close."

Katsuki felt his face light, "Get back here Icy-Hot! I'll kill you!" He darted towards Todoroki, his hands lighting like sparkles, fierce ones. Todoroki flashed the smallest smile at him, he almost missed it. "You, condescending bastard."

"I am one, but at least I don't lie to myself." Todoroki said, looking up two flights, "Text me when you get home."

"Go home Icy-hot I'll find Uraraka."

"Text me in about an hour if you don't find her. If you do too, I don't want to be called out here to talk you two down because of the way you search this town."

Katsuki waved him off, beginning to walk. If he only had an hour then he better get working, Todoroki was usually pretty stern on deadlines. Katsuki found himself walking from street-to-street, flipping the little pill bottle in his hand, in search of Uraraka. The pills were rather the strong sort. He wouldn't be surprised if she received these a while ago and it was still full. Uraraka had gotten herself an apartment in the shady end of town on purpose. Well, it had been the shady end of town, but it was kind of hard to make drug deals and do robberies or anything of the sort when Uravity was on your ankles within seconds of the slightest noise. Katsuki stifled a laugh at the image. He roamed the allies glancing in and out of each of them, the majority of them being empty. Not even the rag-tag people that usually hung around in the alleys were there. It was unusually quiet, but it was also approaching six a.m., drug deals didn't typically happen after the sun rose. Not out in the open at least.

Blood sticking out from one of the alleys drew his eye. Uraraka would have to wait. He sighed, flipping the bottle in his hands and searching for a pocket to stick the bottle in. She likely hadn't slept in a while considering how full the bottle was. It was a bit concerning. But the blood was also a bit concerning, and in front of him. So, he followed the trail.

At the end of the trail, he found three people. Two men surrounded Uravity as she lunged for one, locking them in a headlock and the other darting for her. Katsuki managed to stick his foot in front of him just in time to trip him. The man rolled over, anger glowing in his eyes, a slur half way to voicing itself.

"Say that again." He tested, brilliant anger and confidence rapidly switching to fear as their eyes darted between him and Uravity. Katsuki lowered himself grabbing the man's collar.

"Look, man, I didn't mean anything, she-"

Katsuki glanced towards Uravity, pulling the other man's arms behind his back, a bag of drugs falling out of his pocket.

Uravity sighed, "It's not what I was looking for."

"Look, lady, if not then let us go. We weren't harming anything."

Uravity swiped up the bag, taking a glance over it, "You think I'm dumb? I know exactly what these drugs are for. They're a type of highly addictive gateway drug that advances your quirk then drops it to unstable levels. _All_ users of this drug have been in the hospital in less than three days after one usage."

"I didn't-"

"Sure, you didn't." Uravity swiped up the cash, running her fingers through the money. "Judging by this amount you've got a steady amount of people coming for it. And this isn't your first go around in the system." Uravity sighed, "I threw you in the first time. We can talk about this and get you some help too. You've got to want to help yourself." Uravity lowered herself in front of the man, rapidly talking to him. The man lunged, aiming to bite her. Uravity chopped the man down, holding him down by his shoulders. "Resisting Arrest, I'm sure that'll look great on a record while trying to get a job. Police will be here in less than three minutes."

Katsuki turned, struggling to suppress a scoff, he couldn't. He glanced down towards the other man in his watch, "Look, man, I know. I'm sorry. Please? I can't have a record, I'm about to get into college, my girlfriend will kill me…." He paused glancing towards Uravity, "You know how it is…I don't want to let her down." The man shifted his gaze back towards him.

Katsuki glanced away, "We'll decide that when the police get here."

The man was quiet, lowering his head with only a slight, "shit" under his breath. He was likely going to get off easy, already repenting and it was going to be hard to prove since it looked like an impulse decision. The man didn't show the side effects of any drugs running through his veins.

"Why'd you do it? You don't look like the type."

The man's face heated, "It's a bit hard to explain, but sometimes there are things that you just want to forget, ya know? And I've tried everything, I mean literally everything except drugs. And I asked him for anything. And that's what he brought me. I didn't know. Well, more like I opted to ignore it hoping I could forget, ya know?"

Katsuki nodded. It wasn't like he couldn't understand. The police flared behind him. Uravity glanced between the two as the police hurried down, escorting the people they caught away. The police glanced between them. Katsuki ran a hand through his hair. "Hey, go easy on the kid." The police glanced towards him, blinking. It wasn't like him. He could see it running through his eyes wondering if they should escort him to a hospital. "It was an impulse of a bad day. We've all had them." The officer nodded then turned and got into their vehicle.

Uraraka stood next to him, glancing him over. "Thanks. I was good without the backup, but I think I'll let it slide."

Katsuki stifled a grunt. Whatever. "Don't come to me next time then." He turned reaching to throw her, her sleeping pills: a smirk a crossed her lips. His hands tightened on the bottle in his pocket. He would give them to her when they got back. He wanted to see that smirk, that glitter of _"I win"_ dance in her eyes just for a moment longer.

Uravity got up moving away, further down the alley, swiping something up as she went.

"Let's go back. Kirishima's probably worried."

Uraraka glanced back towards him, eyes wide. A hollow laugh, unsatisfactory escaped her, the sparkle that was testing him in her eyes, gone. "I was thinking that I'd probably have to be the one to suggest that we take a break for the night. I'm not ready. It's barely been-"

"When was the last time you slept?"

"I sleep all the time."

"When?"

Uraraka glanced around, glancing towards the alleyway buildings as though they were going to provide her with some form of escape. Shit. They just might if she used her quirk.

"We can both fly, don't try it."

Uraraka sighed, shifting her feet.

Katsuki tightened his hand around the nearly full bottle. Todoroki was the one who had returned it to him. "You lost it at that party at Todoroki's didn't you?"

Her eyes darted back towards him, "Lost what?"

He threw her the pill bottle. "Don't lose it, I'll look into getting you a lower prescription if it bothers you that much."

Uraraka followed him out of the alley, grabbing the collar of his sleeve, a light pink briefly crossing her face, "I slept at your place." She paused, "I felt safe there." Her eyes darted down towards the sidewalk. The light pink coming and going as she mixed her hero training to hide what she was thinking with actual emotions.

"I'll have a key made."

Pink ran a crossed her cheeks.

"Don't think too highly of it." He grunted, hoping that her grip wouldn't slip from his sleeve to feel his sweaty hands.

Uraraka glanced towards the rooftops, her eyes gazing parts of the city he's likely never seen, "He was just a child. I can't-" Her voice faded, it wasn't exactly hard to figure out what she was trying to voice.

"We should figure out what to do about that woman's quirk."

Uraraka moved to unlock his front door, "And if her quirk getting deactivated kills Raiz?"

Katsuki sighed, frustratedly fluffing his hair, "I don't know, but if he's in pain. It's not like he's completely alive. According to the police, Raiz is-"

Uraraka opened the door, Kirishima stood there reaching for the doorknob. Shit.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Kirishima's eyes darted between them, his hand visible tightening on the door handle. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Questions were obviously moving through his eyes. Relief and betrayal danced with each other. The atmosphere around Kirishima shifted faster than the edges of an eye of a tornado. "Are you guys going to tell me what you're talking about?"

Uraraka glanced towards him. Katsuki sighed, nudging her inside. "I'll make something first. You should probably sit down."

Kirishima neared the edge of the door, "I want to know, _now._ And don't lie to me, I'm not stupid. You had those papers everywhere. You think I wouldn't notice?"

Katsuki felt himself shift through his mind rapidly trying to figure out what paperwork that Kirishima was talking about. His mind shifting back towards the paperwork Deku slammed against him after the trip to the beach. _Those Papers._ He had spent hours going through why they were important but was careful not to alter them. But this was Kirishima. He just spent months in jail grieving over the loss of Raiz. Of course, he would notice Raiz in seconds.

"Raiz is alive."

Kirishima's eyes widened.

"Not quite." Katsuki sighed, pushing his way inside, Kirishima glanced between the two of them.

"That doesn't make any sense." Kirishima snapped.

Katsuki shook his head, he wanted to talk to Kirishima about this. There was a lot that he wanted to talk to him about that he wasn't quite ready to talk about or he was unsure of how to talk about to him. "It's kind of hard to explain. Once you find out you're going to want to dart out of this house."

Kirishima's eyes narrowed, "Kind of like now?"

"A little bit more." Uraraka sighed, going to the kitchen to grab them something, anything to mellow out the thoughts.

"That gang….the one that killed him." Katsuki felt himself claw into the living room table. He wanted to bring Raiz back to Kirishima. Show that he was alive and show that he was fine. How we he supposed to explain that he had to kill Raiz all over again? How was he supposed to explain that to Kirishima? How was he supposed to explain that when he couldn't even explain that to himself? "It's not an imposter. It's Raiz."

Kirishima lowered himself to the floor, "Why? Raiz wouldn't…That doesn't make any sense."

Uraraka came back into the room, setting some food up at the table, "I don't think it's Raiz's choice. There was a woman with several men around her. They each had two connections at least I think."

Kirishima glanced towards her, "And what would those be?"

Uraraka took a breath, "First they couldn't fight her commands, the man that fought Katsuki almost lurched, he looked halfway to puking when she demanded he shut up."

Kirishima nodded, "So we're looking for a quirk like Shinso's, we can call him up and ask him if he has any advice."

Katsuki crossed his arms, glancing towards the roof. Wishing it was that easy. He could already guess what the second feature was. Two out of seven shared a connection that he was more familiar then he wanted to be with.

Uraraka glanced towards the table, "The second is the problem."

Kirishima rapidly glanced between the two of them, "What's the second?"

Uraraka took a breath. Katsuki tightened his hand on one of the chairs. He knew he shouldn't make Uraraka tell him, that was his job. He was his best friend after all. He could swing a pretty decent guess. She had probably researched it while exploring the city in search of the gang again.

"They were all dead previously."

Kirishima glanced between them, the information processing in his mind. Whomever that woman was her quirk likely wouldn't have been received well in their society.

Uraraka began talking, vomiting information mostly, likely unsure where to fill Kirishima in on. Nothing out of this situation was going to be a comfort to him, "Her name is Cecilia, her quirk manifested at the age of six during a massive bombing that killed at least twenty people. They each rose from the dead unsure about what had happened, she demanded that they protect her and they moved. After that her quirk wasn't well received by her classmates. Especially since she had to bring anyone she reanimated to class with her since they could only go in a distance of forty feet without dying again. After they die again she can only resurrect them so many times, it varies from person to person, and the police don't have on record how many times she's resurrected a person. So far, each member of her entourage has been resurrected at least once, except for Raiz."

Kirishima lowered himself to the floor, lowering his head into his hand. "Shit. What the heck…." He was silent, the information likely rushing through his head at the speed of an overflowing river. "If he's rotting on the inside, we could probably think about what to do about transplants if we could prevent it. But, that woman's control is another problem. Even if we get him a transplant, if he leaves her, he'll die."

Katsuki sighed, moving to the carpet where Kirishima sat, throwing his head against the wall next to the door. "I've been racking my brain. I wanted to bring Raiz home to you, safe. Not this news."

Kirishima glanced towards him, "Next time something like this happens tell me. What if she brought him to the jail? I would've torn the place to shreds. Or he was outside? What do you think I would've done?"

Katsuki nodded. Kirishima was right, he had inadvertently put them in danger by hiding this information from him. "It won't happen again. From now on we're a team. The three of us." Kirishima nodded.

Uraraka shifted the food from the table, towards their party on the floor. "What we have to figure out is what we're going to do next."

"I would say pummel that woman, but we don't know where to find her or if she's unconscious, other than sleeping, will her quirk deactivate and kill Raiz." Katsuki sighed. There had to be something they could do. It wasn't like they could just get Shinso and have him tell Raiz to live. Shinso's quirk wasn't that omnipotent. And it ranged closer to hypnotism versus brain-washing.

"All right, so one of us needs to figure out how to break her brainwashing without killing Raiz, while someone else needs to locate the gang. The last person can pummel the gang when we get our hands on them."

"Kirishima, you're not leaving the house."

"I-" Kirishima looked between them, "Uraraka, is there any way you can get my court date moved up?"

Uraraka shook her head, "Even if I managed to do such a feat, there's no guarantee you'd win. Then there's the fact that your hero license is permanently suspended. It would be hard for us to justify allowing you to help. It'd be considered endangering civilians and we'd all go back to jail in an instant."

Kirishima nodded. "I'll find another way of helping, but I'm promising both of you, especially since this involves Raiz, _my sidekick,_ I refuse to stay out of it."

Katsuki sighed. It wasn't unexpected. It was one of the reasons he had considered hiding the truth from him. "Fine but stay out of the spotlight. And make sure you don't leave this house until the house arrest is up."

Kirishima nodded. Uraraka shuffled, "I'll try to give Hendrick a call. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to arrange something. He's always been excited to work with heroes and former heroes alike."

"Weird." Katsuki scoffed.

Uraraka shot him a look, _'be happy he was excited about working with you.'_

"Still weird."

Kirishima shrugged, "Some people actually like their jobs. And I hear that he helped you out a while back. Maybe the reason he likes it is he _helps_ people like us. When they're seen as the bad guy but they're really not. Or the kind of people that are on the down and out. I've talked to a couple guys back in the jail and he did his best and always saw the best in most the people that were his clients. When they lost, it was as though he was as frustrated as they were. On many cases apparently, he talked to them about going back to court to request a smaller sentence."

Katsuki glanced towards him.

"Sometimes people are just having a bad time. Sometimes they just don't make it through it. Those are the kinds of people he worked with."

Katsuki tightened his hands. He should've been more than glad that he was like that. If he wasn't, he would've lost that case with Uraraka.

"Either way, we've got to protect each other," Kirishima said.

The front door swung open, a new voice adding itself to the conversation, "It's a little late for that conclusion."

They each looked up, hearts skipping beats.

Aizawa stood in the doorway.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Katsuki swallowed, it didn't take a genius to figure out that they were about to be absolutely demolished if no one moved, and soon. Even if they did move they were likely to be demolished either way. Aizawa scanned over each over them, likely criticizing their decision not to move or get rid of his vision already. "I'll get straight to the point, I've been sent to kill Uraraka, Take Kirishima's arms, and torture Bakugo. Do you understand the situation you're in?"

Kirishima activated his quirk, but allowed Bakugo to push him a few steps backward, Uraraka took the advantage to be the vanguard in their formation. Aizawa's eyes dropped towards Kirishima's anklet. "That'll take some explaining. But you guys found yourself in a worse situation than possible."

Uraraka lifted her arms shifting to a defensive position, "Sensei." Her face was stone, but her voice shook.

"What are you going to do?"

Uraraka took a breath steadying herself, "Katsuki, get Kirishima outside."

"Huh? That's ridiculo-" His eyes dropped down towards the anklet. The minute Kirishima stepped passed his door the police would be notified. And he was sure that Deku had put all the proper precautions and warnings to tell the cops that if Kirishima's anklet went off it was something dire. "Are you going to take responsibility if they throw him back in jail?" Katsuki turned reaching to pull Kirishima away from the fighting knowing that Kirishima would completely throw himself in to it to protect them. Kirishima was gone, darting towards the back door. "Kirishima! Don't! Fuck-"

"Sorry, I don't think fighting Aizawa-sensei without alerting anyone is a great decision!" Kirishima smiled at him, all the while sticking his foot out the door. The anklet shifted in color releasing a twenty-second warning for him to get back inside.

"Idiot! Get back in here!" Katsuki snapped, glancing between Uraraka preparing to fight Aizawa and Kirishima sticking his foot out the door. Both were bad situations. He turned towards Aizawa, "I just wanted to make breakfast!"

If he hadn't spent so much time with Aizawa he would've mistaken Aizawa's facial expression for annoyance, but there was the smallest glimmer of affection that flashed through his eyes. Aizawa moved himself to the couch, "she never specified how fast to get the task done."

Uraraka kept at the ready. "Someone should look for her, the last record said within the classroom, the distance likely expanded, but I don't imagine by much." Her eyes moved towards Katsuki, "Kirishima needs to be in the house when the police arrive."

"I'm not going to let you fight him in my house, in fact-"

"She'll get away, you need to work like a group."

"Be quiet. You're the enemy right now. And I know you taught me better than to listen to you."

Aizawa hid a trace of a smile, moving his hand towards the remote and flipping through the T.V. channels. He stopped at the news. Katsuki swallowed. They were screwed. "I know I like to sleep, but who told you to bury me?"

Uraraka's face palled, "Sensei-" Her voice was barely a whisper. Even he would've choked on the words to say. Kirishima wasn't coming back inside one way or another, he was determined. As long as Kirishima came back inside when the police got here, he was sure they would let this one occasion be ignored.

He moved in front of Uraraka, "You've been dead for four years." Uraraka glared at him for his lack of sensitivity. Katsuki shrugged, "He was going to realize he was a rotting corpse eventually. You already knew, didn't you?"

"Katsuki, get back," Uraraka whispered, reaching towards him.

"Huh? You do realize what he said he was sent here to do right? If anyone should be getting back, it's you!"

Uraraka moved him several steps back anyway, "Which is great, but if you've noticed you fight primarily using your quirk."

"And you don't?"

"I have hand-to-hand combat training."

"So, when did you two start dating?"

The both reddened, glancing towards the teacher ready with denial, Aizawa's scarf flung in between them. They dodged.

"This is what you get for being distracted!" Uraraka snapped, skidding backward towards the picture frames. The shelf shook, she pushed it back up, carefully moving the picture of him, Kirishima, and Raiz.

"How the fuck are we supposed to fight him?"

" _Police have been alerted."_

Katsuki felt his eyes shift to Kirishima, his quirk rippling throughout his skin as he prepped to join in the fray.

"No, you stay there. You can't be covered in someone else's blood when they get here."

"I'm not just going to stand here while you two fight our teacher!" Kirishima shouted.

"I don't have time to argue-" Uraraka darted passed him, lunging for Aizawa. She dodged one of his blows. Obviously, he wasn't trying his best. Katsuki wouldn't put it past him if Aizawa had wanted to see if they had improved even a little bit in his absence. She was going hit for hit with Aizawa, backing him out of the doorway. Likely she had planned to get him outside.

"Your quirk won't work on me." Aizawa moved, blocking one of Uraraka's blows, she skidded back keeping her arms in the defense position before lurching for him again.

"I don't need it to!" Uraraka launched her palm towards Aizawa's face, he narrowly dodged, his ankle almost contacting her own. Aizawa turned his eyes towards Katsuki just in time to extinguish one of his explosions, pulling Uraraka's attention. "Stay back- "

Aizawa pulled her down with him, reaching for his knife near his back pocket, Katsuki slammed himself against Aizawa. He brushed himself off, readying a defensive position. The knife left behind in his doorway.

"That woman's too cruel." Uraraka pulled herself up, taking a moment to dust herself off.

Aizawa launched back towards them, "You'll face people who are crueler in your lifetimes, keep moving."

Katsuki blocked the knife, Kirishima between them, "Don't block a knife with your arm!"

Katsuki stumbled backward, drawing his hand through the grass to balance himself, "You two get back!" He snapped.

Uraraka kept her hands in the defensive position while sending him a glare, "we all know you're the target, why you do you have to be so reckless?"

Katsuki rustled a hand through his hair, " _I'm the target?_ They want to kill you and take Kirishima's arms! How am I the biggest problem?" Katuski snapped. Kirishima dropped to one leg, still looking towards their teacher. Katsuki's eyes shot to the anklet, it was likely releasing a sedative to get his quirk under control before the police arrived. Katsuki grabbed Kirishima's arms, dragging him back to the door.

"I'm okay, I'm not going to let- "

"Be quiet." He pushed Kirishima back, hoping that he would just stay inside. It was unlikely. Katsuki knew that Kirishima had always had his back, it was unlikely that he was going to suddenly change now. Aizawa's eyes turned back towards Uraraka, binding cloth already around her arms. Uraraka was being dragged towards him.

Katsuki grabbed the knife from the porch, darting in-between them right before Aizawa was able to reach her. Cutting the binding cloth Katsuki pushed Aizawa down to the ground, the knife hovering above his throat. The knife shook in his hands. It was unsteady.

"If you don't there's a lot of people that are going to get hurt."

"I know, dammit! You don't need to remind me! That doesn't make it easier! How am I supposed to do this to Raiz, too?!" Katsuki pressed his hand into Aizawa's neck, if Aizawa was trying he would've gotten him off already. He would've won. They would've all been skewered the minute he opened the door. "I wanted to save him…. I want to save you."

Aizawa's hand wrapped around the knife's handle, "Right now you can't save me. A lot of people will be hurt in the time you spend trying, but keep trying, save Raiz."

Katsuki lowered his head, turning it away from Kirishima and Uraraka, his grip tightened on the knife lingering over Aizawa's throat, "Sensei, I can't-" He struggled to suppress his voice from cracking. It was the softest he had ever heard his voice.

Aizawa rolled his head over, a faint ghost of a smile on his face, a glitter in his eye that someone who hadn't known him for several years would've picked up, "Remember to save yourself, too."

Sirens wailed in the distance.


	24. Chapter 24

**A.N.: I hope you can all forgive the 2-days late on the Friday update thing, it's a little over double the amount I usually write**

 **Chapter 24**

The lights flared, but all Katsuki saw was his hands. The police had arrived half an hour ago, but Katsuki hadn't moved from his spot in the grass. Neither Uraraka nor Kirishima attempted to move him. The police had even reinstated Kirishima's barrier so if something like this were to happen again he'd at least be able to shout to a neighbor for help. The police scoured his yard at the edges, searching for any trace of the resurrection-woman. They flocked out slowly searching the area and careful to stay away from the position where he kneeled in the grass, open hands in his lap. They mine-as-well have been covered in blood. Katsuki watched his hands flip from red to blue at a rapid succession. Deku shifted around in front of him, ultimately deciding to sit down in front of him. "Kaachan…" His voice faded.

"Go help them." Deku's feet left, likely about to give a clear report to the police after hearing it from either Kirishima or Uraraka.

Uraraka's arms surrounded him, pulling his head into her bosom, he didn't dare fight her this was for her just as much as it was for him. "You didn't kill him." Her voice cracked.

He shifted digging his nails into the back of her shirt, suppressing a hiss of, " _It fucken feels like it."_ His eyes shifted towards Kirishima, head bowed; Deku, struggling to do his job even though it was obvious on his face that this situation made him uncomfortable, he tightened his grip on Uraraka's shirt. Five more seconds. That's all he needed. Five seconds.

Katsuki took a breath. Five seconds were up. He unraveled himself from Uraraka, pushing himself up. Uraraka went inside his house. He collected himself, his eyes shifting towards the ambulance where they were keeping Aizawa's body. Katsuki stretched out his hand helping Uraraka up as she wiped her eyes. "I'm personally delivering that woman to Hell." Deku slid back to their side. "Call Todoroki and Kaminari. This woman likes playing with people. Someone has to stay with Kirishima while that woman is dealt with." Deku nodded, his phone already out.

Deku's eyes slid back towards him, "What are you going to be doing?"

Katsuki was silent. He wasn't exactly sure that he wanted to bring Deku with to meet the woman who he was more than positive had a hand in killing Raiz.

Uraraka moved back out of his house, full hero uniform on, "Katsuki and I are going to fight her, Kirishima will stay here with either Kaminari or Todoroki, while you go with the police and explain what you can about the situation."

Deku shifted his weight, "What about the rest of the class? We should probably inform them."

Uraraka shook her head, "Tsuyu and Jirou are out together on a mission in another country, Hakagure and Ojiro just got engaged and are probably far away from here, and we're not too sure what everyone else is doing. It's best we don't get the whole class involved."

Deku nodded, sending a glance towards the police, "I'll get them updated on the situation. And have a separate squad check for robbed graves within a three-city radius."

Katsuki felt himself raised an eyebrow.

"I can't have a cop died because they were unprepared to sho-I'm sure you understand." Deku turned away from him heading towards the cops.

Uraraka swung the keys in her hands. "Get changed before I leave without you." Her eyes shifted towards Kirishima on the doorstep, his head still in his hands. It had been a rough week-heck-it had been a rough year.

"I know you don't have to say it. Text Todoroki to bring over some entertainment or something for Kirishima." Katsuki moved towards Kirishima before waiting for her to ask what he thought would be best. Heck, right now anything would probably suffice. Katsuki lowered himself to sit next to Kirishima. "Hey."

"The judge's house." Kirishima whisper. Katsuki shifted his eyes towards him, "You said the woman that brought Aizawa and Raiz back to life likes to play with people, she probably has Raiz at the judge's house."

"That's not what I want to talk about. It's been a rough week for you."

"I'm not ready to talk."

Katsuki nodded, "We're calling Todoroki and Kaminari to come over so you're not bored when we're gone. I asked Uraraka to tell Todoroki to bring something over, but who knows what he might grab. Todoroki has a son now-"

"It's not like you to babble."

Katsuki unclenched his hand, bawling it into a fist once again. Kirishima somehow always knew. It was probably what he got for letting him stay by his side for years. "I just killed our teacher."

"I know. He'd be mad….and proud." Katsuki raised an eyebrow towards Kirishima, "Sensei always did his best to protect us from the absolute worse, I could see it in his eyes when he glanced at us, there was some form of pride. Something he'd never say. He was proud of you, ya know?"

"Kind of hard to accept that he would be-"

Kirishima stifled a small breath of a laugh, "You may not believe this, but Aizawa-sensei has always had a high opinion of you."

Katsuki nodded, "I've got to go before Uravity leaves me here. Don't tear the place down while I'm gone."

"No promises once you're back." Kirishima smiled. Katsuki nodded, heading inside and changing quickly, he glanced towards Kirishima, who nodded, disappearing into the house.

"We've got a lead. What Kirishima said make sense. We're going to the that judge's house."

Uravity's eyes widened, "Are you sure? You're very close to not legally being allowed in there." He sighed, it had nothing to do with legal or not. Heck, out of all the things they've done in the past couple months the question of legal or not was the last thing on his mind.

"Raiz was Kirishima's sidekick, rescued from gang violence, she's already taken advantage of the gang he was from. This isn't an attack on Kirishima, me, or even class 1-A, it's an attack on Raiz. She has a problem with him."

"How can you tell?"

"If you go through all the trouble of raising someone from the dead because you hate them, you're going to want them to suffer and you're going to want to see them suffer. What's a better way than convincing all the people that cared for you and were supposed to protect you that you're not you, even to the point they would beat you up for it? Kirishima being thrown in jail was part of her plan, she wants to see Raiz suffer. I looked back on the records that Kirishima had those were the safer routes, I traveled down them when I had Raiz. When I didn't have Raiz with me, I chose to go more dangerous routes."

Uraraka nodded. Katsuki knew he was frustrated with himself, but he couldn't show it. The answers should've clicked into place sooner, how each situation had been connected to another. Raiz. Raiz was the one who was suffering the most.

"But why the judge?"

Katsuki's eyes shifted back towards Uraraka as they slid into the car, "The first point is the judge threw Kirishima in jail, although he let me off it was to do with his legal decision, but second is the more important point probably emphasizes the fact that he threw Kirishima in jail…" Katsuki paused, it was information he had only found out months later, "Raiz and the judge are related."

Uraraka's eyes widened, "I-"

"Hurry up." Katsuki threw on his seat-belt, Uraraka was barely in the car before he was revving the engine.

"But how are they related?"

"I found out after Kirishima's trial, Raiz is the judge's grandson. I'm not sure even Raiz knew. Raiz told Kirishima that he lost his whole family to gang violence." Katsuki slid the car into park, the judge's house missing the giant hole he had given it a while back. Heck, it looked better with the giant hole in the wall he should probably fix that for him again.

"Hurry up!" Uravity shouted, already halfway to the door, she had noticed something. Katsuki slid the keys out of the engine into his pocket, already halfway up the stairs after her, he shed his skin as Katsuki, he was The Hero of Explosions. He was going to make this place a better place, by getting rid of the person who was dull enough to bring someone he cared for back to life and abusing their existence. He was going to make her suffer in the way he had. He stepped over the front door lying a crossed the floor, that was probably what Uravity had noticed that sent her flying in.

"Where'd you go?" He shouted, not bothering to be sneaky, if he had to destroy the judge's house so be it. Katsuki stomped the stairs towards where he had found the judge last time he had been here. He was almost impressed the walls had appeared worse than when he had been here, even picture frames were shattered on the floor, the ceiling contained burns, and weapons half wedged into the wall. But it wasn't him. And it wasn't in his fit of rage. So, he wasn't impressed. Uravity slid out of the judge's bedroom, her eyes raged with the fire from her soul. She floored it back into the room. He smiled, she had already found the villains. He knew he had picked her out as a partner for a reason. She was more than the class had seen during their fight, she was more than the audience that day when she threw her all in worrying that he wouldn't take her seriously, that pride that flashed through her eyes that day when she knew that he saw her as an equal, that wasn't something he could just ignore. He was right.

He turned into the room Uravity was going hit-for-hit with the goonies. She glanced towards him pointing towards the judge's bedroom, "Go for the judge!"

He nodded. She knew what he wanted. Katsuki nodded knowing that she would have his back in a second. He floored into the room finding the judge at the back of the room, Raiz's hand wrapped around the judge's neck. The woman sat half-way a crossed the room, a leg over top of another leg, watching impatiently upon a desk. "I don't want to do this!" Raiz snapped, turning to the woman, eyes watering.

"You ruined my life you know! So, I'm going to make sure you-"

"I died already! Just let me be!"

"You destroyed my whole gang! I built that from scratch! Do you know how much work goes into building a gang that was extremely loyal like that _without_ killing them? And do you even know how long the ones that have to get resurrected last? Do you know how much work that is?"

Raiz's eyes shifted towards him, "Don't-"

It was too late that woman already noticed. Her eyes shifted towards him, a slight twitch of a smile on her face, "Great. You can kill both dear old granddad who left your family to gang-violence and your old teammate." The woman shifted her eyes towards him. She knew exactly what he was thinking. He was trying to determine what was more important, getting rid of her or stopping Raiz, "Even if you take me to the police there's no way that everything going to get better. You can't bring the dead back to life, baby Raiz here is stuck with me until he crumbles."

Katsuki cracked his knuckles, "Doesn't mean fighting you won't make me feel better."

The woman glanced behind him, "Raiz, hurry it up." She had made the decision for him. She was scared of him. Katsuki pivoted his foot moving towards the woman, she likely had brought more than just Raiz with her, but if she really was in danger it was likely that she would demand Raiz priorities switch from killing the judge to attacking him. Katsuki charged her. "Raiz, dammit!" She snapped.

Raiz dropped the judge, his head tilting, blood running from his nose, his feet dragged a crossed the room. The woman let out a small noise of annoyance, removing herself from the desk, "Your presence is only hurting him."

Katsuki attempted tackling the woman only to get cut off by one of her bodyguards launching themselves into the room, sending them through the floorboards to the level below. He scraped himself off the floor, glancing towards the man that struggled to get on his feet, "Sorry man, no hard feelings." The man stumbled, wiping dirt off of his face.

"Can you tell me something? How much of you has been revived?"

The man stumbled, catching himself on the couch, "As you can see although she uses us as bodyguards without any consent, we don't have much muscle mass, so I wouldn't say that it's a complete revival. But I also got revived several years after. That kid Raiz might be a different story since he wasn't buried that long. You want to save him, right? It would've been plenty of fun to see you attempt to raise the dead, for real. Not this half-ass way her quirk does." The man stumbled, coughing up blood as he collapsed the floor. The man shivered.

"You are half-dead already, how am I supposed to fight you?"

"That's where you are wrong man, I've been dead for a good long time, it's been about ten years. She received me so far away from the date of my death that my body is crumbling already." The man stumbled, placing himself on the ground, leaning against the wall. "Just keep her away from me and let me crumble, about five minutes should do. I'm so tired, If I was told I'd be brought back to life without a choice I'd probably have denied the offer. I'm someone's puppet."

Katsuki nodded, snatching the blanket off the couch, "A last courtesy for an ancient like you."

The man let out a laugh in the sound of a cough, "A little bit rough, but I'm sure the future in your hands won't be too bad. Do me a favor-" The man let out another cough, "when I'm revived in my next life, save me a spot at the bar, I want to hear about her demise."

"Will do." He stood up letting the man lean against the couch, and then flooring it up the stairs. Raiz stood at the top his hands shaking as they were matted with blood. Katsuki felt his eyes widen. "Raiz, what happened?" Raiz shook, glancing in-between him and the blood that layered in his hands.

Raiz lowered himself to the floor, eyes completely fixated on his hands, "I can't do this anymore. I can't." Raiz wiped his hands on his pants before reaching for his own neck, Katsuki grabbed his hands.

"Don't."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, please." He stared at him, pleading, begging him.

"I'm not going to let you kill yourself!"

"I'm not even alive! I'll fall apart in a matter of months! I can't wait to rot! I can't rot while she has me murder everyone I've ever cared for!"

Katsuki lowered himself, glancing towards the blood that layered the halls and the lack of the woman who had revived Raiz. She likely had gotten bored after making such a mess. He would need to use the resources he was growing at the hospital to save Raiz. They could at least keep him in some form of pod, anything, anything. Katsuki shook his head returning to the moment, "Where's the judge?"

Raiz grabbed his wrist, "Not the judge."

Katsuki found his feet moving through the house, it had gone awfully quiet since he had fallen through the floorboards. He moved pushing doors open, the judge's room had blood splashed along the walls, whoever was losing all this blood was putting up more of a fight than he would've pinned the judge to give anyone. But this was a fight for survival, not his tantrum from so many moons ago. The only sounds that radiated the house was Raiz completely called for meltdown as Katsuki dragged him along and the rebellion of the floorboards. He scanned the floor, there was a suspicious lacking of unconscious bodies a crossed the floor. "Uravity!" He snapped, it was unlike her not to answer him, dragging Raiz was taking too much time, but he didn't have a choice. He'd lose him again, one way or another, if he let him go. Katsuki opened another door, his heart plummeted, then sped up to a rate he was sure if adrenaline wasn't running through every vein it could find he would puke out of panic.

Uraraka lied at his feet, blood pooled from her from her mouth encompassing down to his feet, "Hey, hey, wake up." Katsuki whispered, his voice shook as he reached for Uraraka. She had always had his back when he needed it most. And he wasn't there to have hers. She needed him, and he had left her behind. His hands shook. He couldn't hurt her in this way. He ne- "Uraraka, wake-up dammit!" He snapped reaching for her, something slammed against him, rolling him a crossed the room and into a wall.

He glanced up towards Uraraka on top of him, the fire glowing brighter in her eyes, "I'm right here! Right here!" She shouted, her hand on her chest, her hand moved from her chest to his chest, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I'm right here."

He let his arms wrap around her, "Don't do that shit, it's not funny."

Uravity unwrapped herself from his embrace, glancing around the room, a hand towards Raiz, "Raiz, come here. We're leaving."

Raiz shook backing away from her, "I-I, I can't." He glanced down towards the blood that covered his hands. Katsuki knew the wheels in his head had been turning since the minute he spotted Raiz on the top of the stairs shaking with the ferocity of a chihuahua. He found his eyes skimming the walls, the blood nor the body had disappeared. Whatever kind of illusion this was he didn't like it. It became too physical, and even after they had realized it wasn't real it still remained. It had a mass of its own. And it wasn't fading. This house disgusted him. His eyes scanned the home, it stood for everything that had gone wrong in life. He desired to see the house burn. He wanted to stand and relish in the warmth from the flames that brought this oversized house to the ground.

"Where's the judge?"

"Not in this house." Uravity glanced towards the window, "He's made it outside, I'll go make sure that's the police he's talking to."

Katsuki glanced towards the police. Something wasn't settling with him. How would the judge have made it passed any of the people in the house? Especially if he was the target? His foot pivoted to the woman leaning in the next doorway, "You like my present? I figured you two were like _that_." The woman smiled, raising her eyebrows, "But isn't Uravity dating Deku according to the news? I wonder how you all work."

Katsuki's eyes shifted to the judge outside, "Having Raiz try to kill the judge was a farce. How long has he been dead?"

"Oh, I don't know. Do you remember wrecking his house? Heart-Attack about one a.m. the morning after, I would say you probably killed him. That or his cholesterol, but I mean you probably made it happen sooner than it should've."

"Tell him the truth." Raiz whispered, "His heart broke when he realized what happened to his whole family, a family that he thought was dead was brought back to life and you killed them. Metaphorically first and physically second."

The woman glanced towards Raiz, "Shut up, Raiz. I'm not done."

"You can't be a puppeteer of living puppets and a convulsive liar, you'll never get away with your lies." Raiz glanced at her, his fear fading into adverse, adverse fading into a blank stare. Raiz was shutting down, blocking out all emotions. Katsuki braced himself, he couldn't let Raiz do that any further or there'd be a backlash.

"Don't you give up on me, kid! You've got a whole life ahead of you!" Katsuki moved, denying the inevitable and creating a new path for the future was part of his job as a hero.

"I've been killing over-and-over for months, where is there for me to go? What future is there for a dead-man?"

Katsuki paused, his feet sliding on the floor, he pivoted punching Raiz in the face, "I said don't give up on me! People who give up don't become number one! And number one doesn't give up on the people they're trying to save!" He glanced back towards the woman darting towards the door, only to be tackled by Uravity. Instinctively, he felt himself relax. Hopefully, hopefully, this mess was all over.

Katsuki glanced towards the window, the judge falling and bubbling at the mouth, out of the corner of his eye he could see Raiz watching. Katsuki turned him away, "You might've not known him, but he was still-"

"Grandfather or not, he wasn't family. Family doesn't leave you to the dogs. Family doesn't get jealous when you find a family that actually cares and throws them in jail." Raiz whispered, sadness glistening in his eyes, as he struggled to keep his voice from cracking. "But there's nothing wrong with admitting in the days where you're weak."

Katsuki nodded, leading him down the stairs, "Uravity, for now, keep close, we don't want to separate them too far."

She nodded, following close behind, it was likely that she planned to do that beforehand anyway. He glanced back at the woman attempting to imitate Uraraka with her coy whispers, idiot. There was nothing that woman could say to Uravity that would make her let go.

"Raiz, what about these ridiculous illusions?"

Raiz glanced down towards the man near the couch surrounded by blankets, a blissful smile on his face, something similar crossed Raiz's face, but it almost seemed to be mixed with pity or regret. Katsuki wasn't sure what Raiz was thinking about, "He's in control of the illusions, I wouldn't worry anymore. It's likely the last time she could've brought him back considering the way he went."

Katsuki nodded, he would have the police move him later. Reports he had seen earlier stated that majority of these people had come from criminal backgrounds. Katsuki felt his eyes slide towards Raiz, but that didn't mean the only trait in their personality was 'criminal'.

Uraraka loaded the woman into the police car, turning and giving the police instructions and details on the attack. She was likely receiving a reprimanding about how they plotted their invasion, the police's shoulders relaxed suddenly and she returned a soft smile, before hurrying towards them. "Get him into the ambulance, they're going to try to keep him stable, we're going to be right behind the police car up until the hospital, then-" Uraraka's eyes shifted towards him.

"You don't have to tell me." Katsuki was already dialing. The phone rang. The phone rang again. Dammit, if that woman didn't pick up the phone he was going to go there and smash it, it was little more than decoration if he had to leave a voicemail. Especially in this situation. The phone rang again. " _Please leave a message after the beep"_ Katsuki glanced at the phone ready to smash his phone until the screen lit up, " _Doctor Gloria Calling"_ He hit answer, "There better be a good reason that you didn't pick up the first time!" He snapped.

"How's heart surgery on an infant?"

Katsuki bit his tongue, she knew what he meant, "How long do you think it would take you to set up an incubator?"

"We have about five free ones right now, I could probably snatch one from the infant ward-"

"I need one for an adult. Probably about 5'3" in height." He glanced towards Raiz collapsing to his knees, barely supporting himself with an arm. "You've got 30 minutes, assume you have less than that, I'm going to jack an ambulance if they don't drive fast enough."

"K-"

He cut the call short moving faster than he knew he could move to Raiz's side and picking him up before moving towards the ambulance, "We move now! Anyone not prepared to move in less than two minutes gets left behind!" He snapped, watching the police and ambulance crews scatter to their assigned positions and posts.

Raiz grabbed his wrist, "It's okay, thanks for showing me a future not covered in blood." He laughed. Katsuki glanced down towards Raiz's wrists. Not covered in blood, his ass. This wasn't a time for joking. Katsuki swung him into the ambulance.

"As close as physically possible, we're going on the assumption no more space than a classroom!" Uravity bellowed orders as the crews scattered, "I want this group taking care of the bodies inside, this group taking care of the judge, and this group is with me we need to keep Raiz stable or we're going to lose him." The groups responded, each nodding to her adamant and concise directions. "We don't have time to lose, break." She followed him into the ambulance, "I should go with the police." She glanced towards Katsuki and Raiz. There wouldn't be enough room for the three of them plus the ambulance crew.

She turned, the red that lined the walls from the judge's house flashed through his memory as though he was the one that had put it there, he grabbed her hand tightening it and letting it go, "As soon as she's behind bars join me, don't bother with their interrogation."

She let out a faint smile, "Are you sure?"

"You can write out the finer details later, but…." He paused, glancing towards the fading breath beating itself against Raiz's oxygen max. "This time…. I need you."

She smiled, "Just the trip to the jail then. I'll be with you shortly."

He nodded letting her shut the doors as she exited the vehicle. He took a breath, allowing himself to shift from his hero state to his doctor mentality, it didn't take much but it did take some self-dehumanization, frankly, it probably wasn't a good career choice for someone who was struggling with the problems he was beginning to realize he had. But it was what would save his friends and family, so deeper in his own ditch he dug. But if he was digging a ditch at least he'd have the dirt to build a mud house. From a different perspective, he was just creating supplies necessary to continue through the next storm, it only deepened on how he used them. He glanced towards the three crewmembers each staring at the screen in the corner, one reaching for a defibrillator, the other leaning forwards and whispering in the driver's ear. The monitor lacked a heart rate. The driver hit the gas. Katsuki moved, these idiots. He was going to have to save Raiz on his own. "Sir, please sit back down, we'll keep him stable." Another said, not removing their hand from Raiz's arm.

"I have-"

"I know, sir, you're famous not for your medical education but the amount of time you achieved it, retained it, and of course, the reasoning for it. But as you know, direct family members aren't typically allowed to operate on the patient."

"I'm not."

"Sir, I'm sure you know why. And I'm sure you consider this boy your family. Also, you don't want to accidentally remove my hand. My quirk keeps people in the current condition from the moment I'm in physical contact with them. They gave you half an hour warning for a reason."

Katsuki glanced down towards their hand on Raiz once again. "I'll trust you, but the second that monitor drops even one point we're going to have a problem."

"Understood, we've got about twenty minutes before that happens. Please, mark your watch."

They were there in ten. The ambulance rapidly and strategically unloaded, Doctor Gloria greeted them at the front with an incubator, "You wouldn't believe how hard this was to dig up. Hey, Kanol, keep your hand on the patient, we're going to move him now."

Kanol laughed, letting her partners move around Raiz, "You know I know how to do my job."

"I know, it comforts me to organize." Doctor Gloria moved towards Raiz scanning him over, "Poor kid, what kind of fight did he get into?"

Katsuki glanced towards the police car right in front of the ambulance, images of the night Raiz died flashing through his mind, the feeling of fading heat from Raiz, his mind trying to deny every possibility that Raiz was dead even with a gaping hole in his abdomen. "A hell of a fight. This is going to sound odd, but as soon as you're done stabilizing him, check for organs. Make sure they work."

Doctor Gloria's eyebrows twitched before she moved back to the crew, "We're going to work double-time as usual, can everyone handle that?" The crew nodded. "I'll be back with results or updates in twenty minutes."

"Stay with Raiz."

"I'll have someone update you in that amount of time."

He nodded. He understood, she was keeping him out of the operation, no matter how much he could see in her eyes that she wanted him on the floor. He turned queuing the police car which flipped on its sirens, flying out of the hospital. That woman was probably talking their ears off. Promises of raising loved ones from the dead and the world. Cruel promises that sounded like candy. Katsuki moved himself inside dialing his own home, someone picked up on the first ring, "Hello?" Kaminari and Kirishima argued over a video game in the background. Katsuki let out a sigh of relief. "Hello?" Todoroki said again, "I can't believe he has a landline in this house, caller i.d. would be helpful." Todoroki grumbled likely already reaching to hand up the phone.

"Yo, it's me. How's everything there?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Todoroki paused, "How are you?"

Katsuki glanced towards the ceiling pacing into the hospital, if he could he would probably replace the dull mind-numbing tiles with tiles of intracavity anything to remove the mind-numbing ceiling from these dull tiles. "We arrested the woman that was bringing people back to life, Uraraka's on her way with the police to make sure for sure that she gets behind bars and Raiz…Raiz is in the hospital."

"He's alive?"

"Alive wouldn't be quite the truth, but I'm working on it." Katsuki paused lowering himself into a seat closest to the door that the ambulance crew would've gone through, "I'm playing God, Todoroki."

Todoroki was quiet for a moment, "You may be playing God, but you're also fighting for a future for someone who never had a chance to have it."

Katsuki glanced towards the doors, how was he supposed to help Raiz like this? How was he supposed to make an already, long dead, _child_ alive again? He tightened his grip on his phone.

"You never answered my question."

Katsuki's mind faded Todoroki's voice out, he had other things on his mind. Like how to explain to Kirishima if he had the chance to save Raiz's life and had become the cause of Raiz's death all over again.

"Katsuki, I can come to get you."

"I'm fine. I'm not leaving." He snapped.

Todoroki sighed, "You do understand that you need to take a break, working constantly isn't healthy."

"It's not about work. It's about-"

"I'll be there in about half-an-hour." The line went dead. Stupid half-and-half didn't listen to a word he said.

Katsuki glanced towards the ceiling then back towards a clock, the minutes dragged on forever. He was tempted to offer his assistance in one of the surgeries to make the time pass by, but he also wanted to know about Raiz's situation as soon as possible. He leaned his head against the wall closing his eyes.

"Should we wake him?" A voice whispered.

"Probably not, you know how he is."

Katsuki found himself prying his eyes open, immediately shifting towards the clock. It had been an hour, Todoroki should be there any moment. He leapt to his feet glancing around, Doctor Gloria didn't break her promises, where was that stupid messenger? His eyes shifted back to a young girl standing next to Deku, high school-aged, one horn on her head. "Aizawa's step-daughter?" He growled. Of course, Deku would figure to bring her. He probably figured an apology would do-

Eri's eyes shifted, "I know about him. Thank you. He wouldn't have been happy the way he was. But Raiz, I might be able to save him. I can't promise anything. That's up to Raiz himself if he wants to accept the quirk, but I can't promise if it'll revert him to being dead again or further than that."

Katsuki nodded. That wasn't a risk he wanted to take. He had promised himself that he would save Raiz. "I-"

"I think that's something that we should leave up to Raiz."

Katsuki glanced up towards Kirishima, standing in the doorway in-between Todoroki and Kaminari, he rose from his seat, "Idiots-"

Todoroki shuffled pulling papers out of his pocket, "I went to the police station beforehand and granted him visitation with Raiz, they didn't see a problem." Didn't see a problem was probably a bit of an extended lie, Todoroki likely had something trick up his sleeve to persuade the police. It was uncommon for heroes to get that finely along with the police in matters that depended on situations like that. Especially their class.

"Well, he's stable, I just transplanted a kidney, a stomach, and a few other organs for the kid I'm sure you all don't want to know about. But if we can get this kid to the point without worrying about the fact that he might die again any minute, I would appreciate that." Doctor Gloria stood behind him. "Eri was it?"

The girl nodded.

"If you are going make use of your quirk to offer him, I would like if you could do it without anyone else in the room to influence him. It's a big decision and as a medical practice-"

"I understand." Eri smiled following Doctor Gloria towards where Raiz room likely was. Deku's foot twitched his instinct to follow her as a bodyguard likely hadn't faded after so many years.

"She's with Doctor Gloria, she'll be fine."

Deku nodded turning back to the group, "Where's Uraraka?"

Todoroki glanced over his shoulder, "She looked exhausted, she's sleeping in the car, I told her I'd wake her when we get there. I just didn't say how long after we got there."

Deku nodded, "I'll go get her."

"Let her sleep, five minutes longer." Todoroki shook his head, glancing back towards Katsuki. "You two are going to wind up being the problem children of our class aren't you."

"Hey!" He snapped, Kirishima sat down next to him, "Hey, man, you know you can talk to us."

"I know." He turned away from the class, noticing Eri running down the hallway. "What's the matter?" He moved towards her, a smile flashing on her face.

"I did it, his heart is beating!" She smiled, Doctor Gloria not far behind.

Kirishima picked her up swinging her around, "You're my hero!"

Red lit Eri's face before she glanced towards Deku who gave her a curt nod.

Kirishima darted towards Doctor Gloria who smiled, turning to guide them towards the room, "I'd prefer if you go in small groups to prevent from overwhelming him and causing a possible backlash, we'll keep him for a while for observation." Doctor Gloria explained.

Todoroki glanced back towards the door, "I'll stay with Uraraka until someone comes back."

"I'll be back." Deku nodded, glancing towards Eri, "It's late so I should probably return her, too."

Eri shrugged, "I'm just proud I got to do something heroic while I'm still in high school. It's strange holding someone else's future in my hands, it's scary and exhilarating."

Deku laughed, giving her a few words before she followed Todoroki to the car.

"I'll wake her when you get back."

Katsuki nodded, he wasn't sure what kind of hours she was swinging when he wasn't around, but it was starting to show. But that wasn't his problem, the image wouldn't leave his mind. He knew if he saw her, he wouldn't be able to hide his need to grab her and pull her against himself, hold her so tightly she wouldn't be able to breathe. Just to prove to himself she still existed. To prove to himself that her breathing wasn't a figment of his mind. He turned following Kirishima to the room. Kirishima stood at the door bracing himself, "What do I say to him?"

"The kid's convinced he's the reason you were in jail, so don't be surprised if he brings that up. I'm sorry is probably too cliché for the kid." Katsuki leaned his back against the wall. He had considered the possibility before, if he had one more minute, one more second what would he say to Raiz? And now that Raiz was alive, he found his mouth dry and empty.

Kirishima's hand shook on the handle of the room, "Dammit. I can't wait another minute." Kirishima flew into the room, flinging his arms around Raiz, "I thought I lost you."

Raiz grabbed the back of Kirishima's shirt, "You did, but I'm back now. I won't get lost again. I promise." Raiz cried leaning into Kirishima's shirt as they sobbed together. The past seeming as though a poorly designed puzzle that someone was working on shattering. Katsuki glanced towards the ceiling, maybe the future held something even more beautiful to offer him.

He glanced towards the person pulling on his sleeve, Uraraka, "How is he?"

"He's alive, Eri saved his life, but Doctor Gloria wants to make sure. It's kind of an awkward situation, he's been dead for months, she's likely at a loss on how to advise us on to take care of him, or if any problems were to start happening."

Uraraka nodded, "I'll grab us drinks, what do you think Raiz and Kirishima would want?"

"Just grab anything." He sighed following her down the hallway.

"Hey, Katsuki, I-the villain…" Uraraka's voice faded as she glanced back towards the room.

"It's this about whatever that woman said to you? You're not the type to let a villain affect you." He glanced towards her as she scanned the machine likely considering if each of them, their difference in prices and hesitating on buying something. They had stable jobs, they each lived stable-enough lives, but he knew her old habits weren't going to fade anytime soon.

Uraraka began to turn away, "Yeah, you're right, never mind."

Katsuki sighed, grabbing her arm, "Wait, that didn't mean I wasn't listening."

"I said never mind, it's fine. She was just trying to get in my head." Uraraka sighed, grabbing the drinks and walking back towards the room, she paused at the door, "I think I'm going to have Todoroki drive me home, give these to Kirishima and Raiz."

"Yo, you forgot your's."

"Keep it for later." She gave a hollow laugh, a glance into the room where Kirishima sat on the edge of Raiz bed, whispering in hushed tones to each other, before turning towards the door. _Dammit._ That slightest brush of her skin, not even in the way he wanted to feel her warmth, wasn't enough he desired so much more. Katsuki took a breath, something was different. He had made a mistake, he should've listened the first time. She didn't take that as encouragement or the fact that he knew how resilient she was, whatever that woman had said was bothering her. Katsuki glanced towards Raiz door. He couldn't leave Kirishima or Raiz either. Katsuki gritted his teeth. Uraraka had Todoroki, Deku, and Kaminari waiting for her back out at the car, they would each do their best to comfort her. But that wasn't good enough. He wanted to be the one there comforting her-

"Where's Uraraka?"

"She's sleeping in the car. I'm sure they know you didn't mean anything-What happened?"

"I-My last…her last request was…Her last request was that I kill Uraraka."

 **Author's Note:  
A couple things,**

 **The original plan/hope for this story was that this story would have 25 chapters, but it'll probably be a bit longer.**

 **I also want to participate in NaNoWriMo with my original content [it'll be posted on Quotev…or maybe my Twitter/Tumblr chapter-by-chapter, not everyday cuz that'll be a killer] & currently have too many projects running at the same time of college & work. So, the plan was to finish up all the fanfictions I have in the works [but I had a **_**new story idea**_ **for a Todoroki X Uraraka X Katsuki in the middle of it & dug myself further in my ditch where I'm struggling with too much work for myself]. **

**For those who are curious on my original content/glancing at me babble instead of writing the fanfiction (or small tidbits of the fanfiction I'm currently working on/progress): Twitter - TealNaomi3, Tumblr – lovetnaomi , quotev – XReader [x-reader stories, of course] or TealNaomi [original content that will begin updating in November]**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Katsuki placed his hand on the door, pushing it open slightly, the kid needed to worry less, there was no way Raiz was even going to be able to get close to hurting her. Uraraka was intelligent and strong, there was no way such a kid could fluster her.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She's very open-minded, we'll warn her, and you throw at her whatever you've got. Then it'll be out of your head."

Katsuki glanced towards Kirishima doing his best to comfort Raiz.

"You don't get it, I _already_ did it. You need to stop her."

Katsuki tightened his hand on the doorknob. The heat from his mistake still lingering in his arms. They had rescued Raiz. And to the amount of medical knowledge they knew, Raiz was alive. Everything should be fine. This should've been over.

"I'm sure Uraraka can defend herself from whatever you threw at her." Katsuki sighed, slamming the soda onto the table next to Raiz, sliding a water closer to Raiz as a prompt instead. But heck, the kid had been dead for months, no one was going to judge him if he chose to indulge himself, "I trust her. And you know I don't throw my trust to just anybody." Raiz nodded, his hands tightening around the blankets that surrounded him, it drew him to the bandages that ran along Raiz's arms to the point he couldn't see them. Although Raiz had quieted down, he still shook. Just because Uraraka was strong didn't mean he shouldn't at least pay attention to this warning, "Stay with Kirishima and don't worry, I'll find her." Katsuki turned moving outside the door where Kaminari was napping in a chair, he kicked it, "Yo, sit with Kirishima and Raiz for a while."

Kaminari glanced towards him, "Hey, have you been okay, man? It's been so long since you've talked with anyone."

Katsuki glanced towards the clock, Uraraka shouldn't have made it too far, "I'm fine. Sit with Kirishima and Raiz, they've been through Hell and back."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't you want to-"

"I've got something I've got to do." He was already walking down the hallway before Kaminari was able to finish. Deku was further down the hall, likely choosing to be the vanguard in their subconscious need for security, "Where's Uraraka?"

Deku turned blinking towards him, "She went with Todoroki, he said she wasn't looking too good."

Katsuki moved towards the door, "I'll be back in a bit."

Deku's hand wrapped around his elbow, "Listen, I know it's been a rough year for you-"

"Not now." He snapped, something was building up in his chest, it was a feeling he was rather familiar with and it wasn't a comfortable feeling.

"You're not going to get anywhere without a car."

Katsuki glanced towards Deku's hand already holding the keys to his own car, likely cringing at the thought of using it, "Keep it, I'm not leaving you stranded if anything or anyone gets close to those two." He glanced towards the front desk.

"Kaminari is there with them, I can-"

"No, stay with them." They were weak. Raiz had just risen from the grave, and he was sure that didn't make him the next Hercules. And Kirishima couldn't activate his quirk even for a self-defense matter. Kaminari had been asleep, he wasn't going to leave just Kaminari to defend the room. Kaminari was barely keeping himself awake, but he was right. He hadn't spoken to anyone in a while, but he could tell, with the bags under Kaminari's eyes, he had been working one too many shifts. Kirishima and Kaminari wouldn't be enough to defend Raiz if anyone were to decide to come back for him. Besides, Kaminari's quirk would destroy half the hospital's equipment, it wasn't something that Katsuki wanted him activating anywhere near the hospital. In the villains' eyes, Raiz being alive, was an act of spite. An attack directly on their pride. Or a trophy if they could take him away. And no way was he going to let that happen. He had let him down before. That wasn't going to happen again.

"You're not-"

Katsuki glanced towards Doctor Gloria approaching, likely considering if she should attempt to calm down what looked like an argument to any outside party, "I need to borrow a set of keys."

She sighed, "I know, I promised anything you needed, but-"

"It's important."

She shuffled in her pocket, tossing him the keys, "If my car comes back with a single mar, I'm going to make sure you'll be the next on that operating table."

"Yeah, yeah" He snapped, darting towards the door. The feeling that Raiz had instilled in him was growing, rapidly. And he wasn't one to ignore his instincts. He found Gloria's car, dialing Uraraka's number as he threw the car into gear, "Pick up, dammit." The phone went to voicemail, repeatedly. "Pick-" He slowed the car, another car was upside-down near the edge of the road, smoke attempting to hail a passersby. Dammit. He didn't have time for this, but he couldn't leave it either. "This better be quick." He grumbled, attempting one more call as he moved towards the vehicle. "Uraraka, pick up, dammit."

 _Crunch._

His eyes slid down towards a flip-phone, in-half, and underneath his foot. There was only one person in this day in age he knew owned a flip phone. "Uraraka!" He glanced towards the car, he had to be careful, if he moved wrong he was more than capable of making the car explode. He moved towards the doors, glancing into the windows, no one was within the car. "Uraraka!" He shouted, glancing in the driver's seat. Todoroki was gone, too. There was no ice layering the area, they were close by.

"We're here!" Katsuki felt his ears twitch at the sound of Todoroki's strain. He was likely injured with how half-assed that yell had been. "Stay back!" Todoroki snapped, a grunt escaping him quickly afterward.

From the sound of his voice, Todoroki was struggling. "Like hell! I can hear-" Katsuki darted over the hill, his eyes widening. Uraraka was pinning Todoroki down attempting to strangle him.

Todoroki's eyes glowed as he attempted to remove Uraraka, confusion painted a crossed his face. Todoroki's face was similar to a toddler's canvas, a mess.

"Fight back, dammit!" Katsuki shouted, darting towards the two.

Todoroki glared towards him, "But she'll-"

He slammed himself into Uraraka, feeling them tumbling further down the hill, Katsuki wrapped his arms around Uraraka, feeling them slam into a wall of ice. Katsuki pulled himself away from Uraraka, her eyes darting towards him, "I-I've got to." Her eyes darted, a sense of derangement echoing out of them.

Katsuki glanced towards Todoroki, "Stay back!" It didn't make sense, it was very rare she was around Todoroki. Even on their bigger missions, she only had a mission with him once in a blue moon, he glanced towards the black-and-blue running down Todoroki's neck. He was likely trying to figure out how to get her off him without using his quirk. They were all enlisted in combat training, but Uraraka used her body the most out of any of them, she was trained in hand-to-hand combat, meaning she was less reliant on her quirk than the two of them. For the sake of simplicity if all three of them were to not have a quirk, if it came down to a fist fight, Uraraka would win. She wasn't just strong, she was intelligent. And she didn't mind fighting dirty if it got the job done. Heck, she spent her days taking down guys three times her size with her bare hands. That didn't solve the main question of why Todoroki? Or how someone managed to get into her head. When did someone get inside her head? They had to be powerful. His mind flashed back to that sickening house, he was walking up the steps. Uraraka laid on the floor. Everything was running cold. He had to have a fever, he was getting dizzy. The blood ran throughout the halls. His hands were getting colder to the point they were shaking, "I told you to stay back, dammit!"

"I haven't moved."

He glanced towards Todoroki. His eyes shifting back towards Uraraka attempting to fight him off, "We're going back to the hospital, _now."_ He hissed, glancing around for anything to stop a second attempt of her crashing the car.

"I've got to!" Uraraka snapped at him, turning to reach towards Todoroki.

"Why?" He snapped.

"I've got to hurt him, he-"

Todoroki shifted next to him, "Katsuki, she's not after me."

Katsuki grunted, "Says the one with bruises all the way down his neck, who the hell would she be after then?" He snapped, glaring towards Todoroki's piteous look. His eyes shifted back towards Uraraka.

"I've got to. I've got to hurt him."

Katsuki tightened his grip on her shirt, he turned towards her, "Who's him?"

Uraraka glanced between the two of them, "Him."

He sighed, she had never given such unclear answers, she was clearly under someone else's influence, "We're taking her back to the hospital, maybe Raiz can give us a clear answer on what he thinks he's done. Stay back, dammit. She thinks you're the one she has to attack. She's going to be pissed once she snaps out of it. I don't need more than your neck reminding her of what happened. I don't want-"

"You can't hide this from her."

"That's not the problem right now!"

"It'll become the problem."

He shifted as Uraraka reached clawing his face, "That hurts, dammit! Chill out!" He turned, Todoroki at his side with a cloth that looked awfully similar to Aizawa's binding cloth. He grabbed the cloth, finishing the job, and getting Uraraka into the car. He glanced towards Todoroki.

Todoroki glanced towards his smoldering car, "I'll stay here."

"No, get in the passenger seat. She's always been determined to get the job done, she'll find a way out if you don't come." Katsuki sighed, slipping in the car. Todoroki nodded sliding into the passenger seat. Katsuki glanced towards the bruising along Todoroki's neck, he was probably in pain, it was very rare for a villain to get that close to him and he usually had a partner who would panic and slam them off before they could do any damage, "There's Ibuprofen in the glove box."

Todoroki glanced towards him, "I don't-"

Katsuki glared at him through the corner of his eye, then back towards the road, Todoroki shuffled in the glove box. He thought so.

"Let up on the steering wheel."

"Huh?" He snapped, glancing towards Todoroki, then back towards the steering wheel, his nail marks engraved in the cold wheel. Dammit, Doctor Gloria was going to kill him. Katsuki glanced towards the mirror, Uraraka seemed to be calming down, but-He felt Todoroki reach for the wheel pulling them back, "I had it!" He snapped.

"We were on the other side of the road! I know you're worried but pay attention!" Todoroki snapped, a fire of mixed emotions ragging in his eyes.

"I know you're hurt, but don't take that attitude with me!" He snapped, a quick glance into the mirror, "Hey, Uraraka, how are you doing back there?"

Her head was dropped into her hands, "My head hurts. A lot. I feel dizzy."

He nodded, letting the vehicle slow a little, she had been insistent on hurting Todoroki, she never said anything about killing him. He dropped his voice glancing towards Todoroki, "They didn't realize that they needed to be specific with their quirk."

"Or they did it on purpose. They didn't want to actually hurt you, there was a second party."

Katsuki nodded, "So, Raiz was the influence, but that means someone else was the problem."

"Who's blood is this?"

Katsuki glanced back towards Uraraka, reaching to prop open the glove box, "There's tissues inside hand her some."

Todorki sighed, beginning to shuffle around in the glove box once again, handing the tissues back towards her. "Thanks, but that doesn't answer my question."

Todoroki opened his mouth and closed it again, a glance towards Katsuki.

"It's mine. We hit a rough patch with the investigation, a scratch really."

"But that doesn't answer why your blood is on my hands."

"Just take the damn tissues from Todoroki already." Katsuki sighed, flipping his blinker on as he begun to claim his spot in the hospital parking lot. He switched the car in to park, glancing towards her, she gently took the tissues from Todoroki wiping the blood off.

"Explain properly," Uraraka muttered under her breath, sliding the binding cloths to the side.

"You're going to stay the night at the hospital with Doctor Gloria."

"Wha-Why?" Uraraka ferociously glanced between Todorki and himself. He didn't want to explain himself, but he knew better than to not tell her the situation.

"You attacked Todoroki."

"I-" Her eyes darted down to the bruising on Todoroki's neck. Momo Todoroki was going to kill him. Katsuki sighed, he never wanted to see the wrath of his classmates. They had times where they had been weak, but he knew what Aizawa saw in them all. Incurring a single member of the old-class' wrath would destroy the enemy. He would be lucky to have even ashes in the morning.

Uraraka shuffled out of the car, moving rapidly towards an elderly lady in the parking lot. Katsuki unbuckled, shutting the car off and shuffled out of it. Uraraka reached taking several bags off an elderly woman's hands.

"Goodness, you're off the clock it's okay."

Uraraka took the bags out of her hands, "I don't mind, where are we going?"

"The front desk is good dearie, they have a little car that'll bring me to the elevator."

Uraraka nodded, as they followed her and the elderly lady, Todoroki moved, shuffling a bag from Uraraka. "Damn, you wouldn't think she tried to murder you a couple minutes ago."

Todoroki glanced at him, "That's why it's important that I stay near. If she's still under the influence it'll be easier to know this way."

The elderly lady glanced towards him, "Oh, you should probably get that checked out too."

Uraraka rubbed her neck, glancing away.

"It'll be fine, I've hurt worse before."

The elderly lady nodded, a small frown lined her face, "You are all so young, it's not like back in the day where people first started getting quirks, people were careful with their secret identity." The lady shook her head, "Nowadays, most people can generally get all the information they need on you if they have the right stuff. You should all worry about your personal safety more often." She shook her head. The woman wobbled forwards, physical strength depleted with age, but intelligence strongly gleaming in her eyes. The woman glanced towards them, "You boys, do you know what the secret to life is?"

Todoroki glanced towards him, then towards Uraraka, as though one of them had the answer this woman was looking for. Katsuki sighed, he knew the answer would be something ridiculous and abstract something he wouldn't be able to quite put his finger on for a while. He took the bait, "humor me."

"Fun."

They set her bags down at the front desk, letting the attendants take several as she checked in. He glanced back toward the door. The concept of fun hadn't been something he pondered in several years, the idea of 'fun' seemed far away, childish-even. He was an adult, and being an adult meant responsibilities. The elderly lady stomped her cane into his foot, "Look lady-" He snapped, his head spinning faster than an owl's to her.

"My bad, I sensed some doubt, but remember fun is a responsibility that adults have to themselves too. Fun is not a childish concept."

Katsuki hissed stuffing his hands in his pockets before storming to Raiz room. Fun. How self-indulgent to lecture someone on not having fun while in a hospital. He wasn't here for a field trip, he was here because he brought his partner's sidekick back from the literal dead. He had more responsibilities than he could handle, and that didn't include fun. He punched the buttons to the elevator, Uraraka and Todoroki sliding in after him.

"Huh, that's not what I thought she would say. I thought she'd say something more thought-provoking." Uraraka hit the button to Raiz's floor.

Todoroki glanced towards the door, watching it slide shut, then up to the shaft above the elevator, likely considering exits if the elevator were to break down, or a form of escape, "I don't think so, while considered a childish concept, fun is also a necessity in life."

Katsuki opened his mouth, his mind flying back to the night-at-the-beach, the wind rushing through his hair as he pulled Uraraka close, losing it at his maniac decision. "Alright." He shut his mouth again, drawing Todoroki's attention. The elevator door slid open, Doctor Gloria outside, he tossed her the keys, "No scratches."

She nodded, attempting to make her sigh of relief inaudible, before glancing towards Todoroki's neck, "Holy-How what happened?"

Todoroki glanced back towards the shaft at the top of the elevator. Katsuki hooked his arm pulling him out of the elevator. Uraraka raised her hand, "I did."

Doctor Gloria sighed, dragging them into an empty room, "You're lucky this is my floor, all of you people are ridiculous. Why in the world would you do this to him?" Doctor Gloria sighed, pulling out a flashlight, "I can't really bandage it since it's your neck, but I've got to check, if you've got something broken or severely bruised it's going to be hard to breathe."

Todoroki nodded. Katsuki glanced towards him, Todoroki flinched when Doctor Gloria went to reach for him, she pulled away, "Sorry." He whispered, he glanced towards the floor, "I thought I had outgrown it."

"No, I should be sorry, I should've realized with my profession." Doctor Gloria shook her head, "I'm going to reach for your neck again." She gently raced his neck feeling for the damage, "At my age, we each carry our own trauma, it's nothing to ashamed of. And don't feel you have to apologize to anyone. You don't owe anyone a single word of explanation. Just some minor bruising. Come to talk to me if anything ever gets too heavy." Doctor Gloria nodded, then glanced towards Katsuki, "That includes you two, too." She glanced them both over, before rushing to the stairs.

Todoroki ran a hand through the red part of his hair.

Uraraka glanced towards the floor, her hand tracing the arm where her scar remained, "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't because of you."

Uraraka nodded, "I'm going to go check on the group in the next room."

They nodded watching her dart out.

Katsuki leaned on a wall, crossing his arms, "Are you okay?"

Todoroki nodded, his hands moving together, as though he was creating some form of physical blockade between the two of them. Todoroki had revealed more than he had wanted about his past. "Yeah."

Katsuki nodded, if he wasn't ready to talk about it, he wasn't ready. He slid the door open, "One more thing. Trauma isn't something you grow out of. It'll be there. It's a bit like a led weight. You carry it every day, some days it weighs you down, and other days, you've been carrying it for so long, it's as though it's not there. Some days it'll be lighter."

Todoroki nodded, a soft smile on his face, "Catch up to Uraraka, make her led a little bit lighter."

"If you're not there in five minutes I'm coming to look for you."

Todoroki waved him off.

Katsuki sighed turning to Raiz room, sliding the door open, they were all asleep, Deku slid open his eye to check who came in the room. "I'm checking Uraraka into the hospital for observation."

Deku glanced towards him, "What-"

"She's okay, but she tried to kill Todoroki."

Deku opened his mouth, words likely running dry in his mouth, he paused recollecting himself, "Why?" Then glanced towards Raiz, Kirishima out with his head placed on the bed, Deku answered his own question. "Is his quirk similar to Shinso's?"

Katsuki nodded, "Kirishima and I believe so, but because of the way that Raiz grew up it's hard to pinpoint quite what it is. There's a possibility that he hasn't stabilized it either."

Deku nodded, "I would assume due to his background he didn't receive quirk counseling either."

"No time for that while your family is teaching you how to properly rob the bank."

Deku nodded as Katsuki moved glancing around the room, "Where's Uraraka?"

"She went to grab something to drink. I think it's bothering her." Deku sighed.

Katsuki nodded, "I'll see if Doctor Gloria can get her a room nearby." Deku nodded, not bothering to question where he was going, Deku already knew. Katsuki stomped down the hallway, locating Uraraka taking her frustrations out on a defenseless vending machine. He slid up next to it, leaning on the vending machine, "Mame', if you don't stop kicking the defenseless, I'm going to have to arrest you."

Uraraka glanced towards him her eyebrows moving together, "Officer, you see, it's not quite so defenseless, it seems to have stolen some of my money." The vending machine clicked, dropping several bottles out of it.

"I see the machine has come to fess to its crime, but next time attempt not to assault the perpetrator."

Uraraka shook her head, the tilt of a forced smile on her face where a laugh would've previously escaped her instead. He was going to hunt down this gang. He was going to hunt down Raiz old gang and make them pay, they couldn't take Raiz's life, Kirishima's sense of security, and the light from Uraraka's eyes. Uraraka's laughter, the one that resonated through the air bouncing off the walls with no shame, now sounded hollow. They had stolen too much. Too much that they would never be capable of giving back. And they were about to learn the true value of everything they had stolen from him.

"Come on."

Uraraka sighed, shifting the weight on her feet, "I'm not ready to go back to the group."

"We're not going back to them," Katsuki shuffled in his pocket for the key, pulling it out, "It's a room that Doctor Gloria lends to me when I work overtime, it's a crossed the hall from Raiz's room." He turned, knowing she was following behind him as they slid into the room. Katsuki glanced around the room, it was decent, especially for a hospital. A bed, a couch, and a table. There wasn't much when it came to the window, a curtain pulled so that the back operating's of the hospital were unable to be seen. It wasn't as if the front rooms had much of a picturesque view either. He threw himself down upon the couch, what would've been called sleep threatening to take him over. It was cold and distant. It wasn't sleep, it was an exhaustion-induced coma that he wasn't ready for. He opened his eyes an hour or two later, Uraraka sitting up, her head in her hands, tears at the edge of her eyes, whispers fleeing off her lips. She glanced towards him, likely realizing he was also awake, lying back down and attempting to hide her tears. The confusion that came along with her night-terrors. Katsuki slid the blankets off, it wasn't as if he expected the night terrors to just go away after she explained them. He could feel the cold floor underneath his feet, letting his mind wonder if that's how he would explain his own. "Hey, Uraraka." He slid himself onto her bed, sitting next to her.

"It's okay." She whispered, not bothering to turn over, likely in an attempt to hide her tears.

"I'm here." He slid his hand towards hers.

Her fingers wrapped around his hand in a contradiction to her words, "I don't need to be protected."

"Nonsense, we're heroes. You watch my back and I watch yours." _I protect you, and you protect me._

She rolled over, drawing him into the bed, "Stay for a while."

He slid next to her, his hand tightening on hers. She nestled her head underneath his chin, he glanced down towards her. Use him as a shield. He wanted to be her shield, he didn't want to admit, but like he needed someone to be his own shield. From the cruel world. He was promised the fame and glory, the thrill of being a hero and saving lives. He got all that. And so much more. Not all good. But not all bad. The world is cruel as much as it was beautiful. As the bad parts of the world flung themselves at him, he found himself also opening his eyes to the beauty in his world. Katsuki tightened his grip on his future, softly within his own hands.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Katsuki pushed the person shaking him off, for the fourth time, "Kacchan, listen." He moved sitting up, glaring at the green-haired mop, the least he could do was brush his hair before bothering him out of bed. Cold cloth lingered underneath his hand, "Did Uraraka tell you where she was going?" Katsuki tightened his grip on the long cold spot underneath his hand, the only heat in the bed, his own.

"Huh? Did you try to call-"

Deku glared at him, then glanced towards half of Uraraka's phone laying on the counter.

"She's an adult, probably got hungry and went to get breakfast."

Deku shook his head, "It's not that." The look in his eyes was distant and concerned. When they were younger that kind of look would've had him out of the dorm already deep in the search for their missing classmate before informing anyone. Deku had a long track record of doing things on his own without informing anyone. Until it was too late.

"Then, what is it?" Katsuki sighed, he was already up, it wasn't like he had anything better to do than search for her.

Deku fidgeted, his hand on his neck, hesitation brilliant in his eyes, however fooled the villians Katsuki would never know, "She stole my car."

"Where'd she go?"

"She told my car Kacchan, do you think I bothered to ask while she was doing that?"

Katsuki frowned, sure, after the night she had he would want to disappear too, but stealing Deku's car? That wasn't like her. Sure, she was just as chaotic as the rest of class 1-A, but she wouldn't do something that would make them worry, she knew Deku's chaotic track record, "Have you called Todoroki?"

Deku shook his head.

Katsuki sighed, adjusting himself to reach his cellphone on the other side of the table, punching in the Todorokis' number. The phone rang. Repeatedly. He threw the covers off, pushing his shoes on, and grabbing a jacket, "Stay with Raiz."

Deku grabbed his arm, "Maybe you should stay with the two of them. It's important that you're around them."

"I'm going after Uraraka."

Deku grabbed his arm, "Listen."

He flung Deku's arm off, "No, you listen, she had Todoroki in a chokehold yesterday and judging by the fact she stole your car I wouldn't say she disappeared to find a place to think." He ripped his arm out of Deku's hand, his stomps echoing down the barren hallway. He glanced out of the corner of his eye Deku hadn't moved from the doorway. Good. This was his problem.

Katsuki felt his fist tighten, Deku was still searching for his car about an hour later and where Uraraka could have gone, if she needed space, she could've just told them. He wasn't sure if he felt hot or inexplicably cold, but he kept flashing in-between and if it weren't for his intuition, he would have diagnosed himself with influenza early this morning. He turned down the hall a familiar brunette with her arms crossed, nodding, and a pained grimace on her face.

"Please keep this from Katsuki, no, keep it from everyone. They'll only worry and do something stupid." Uraraka sighed, purple lined under her eyes as she looked at Doctor Gloria. He slid himself several steps back, an old habit of his. It had kept him alive. He swallowed, HIPPA laws prevented him from sharing information and he should know better, but something fought an army in his gut.

"Uraraka, honey, you're going to need to talk to someone about this."

"And give them a heart attack? I think not."

Doctor Gloria nodded, "But remember it's not something you're going to be able to hide."

"I know. I'm hoping to fix it before anyone finds out."

Katsuki felt his Adam's apple begin to choke himself, he pressed his hand against the wall as though it were the only thing that would keep his balance in the world. He glanced towards the sizzling wall, wiping his sweat away before rapidly heading back to the room.

Deku stood outside, panic and trust for Uraraka painting his face, "Did you-"

"Yeah, don't give her shit about the car." He kicked the door open glancing at Kaminari asleep on one end of the room, Kirishima next to Raiz. Raiz rolled over asleep, closer to him. His eyes darted back towards the monitor watching its steady beats. Counting. His beats were still steady, alive. By textbook definition at the very least. He knew he was waiting for that continuous beep, the miracle to keep going. And prepping to save him when it stopped. And what was he going to do about Uraraka? What had gone so terribly wrong that she couldn't tell them? How did she-

Katsuki ran a hand over his eyes moving to the chair near Raiz's bed. He had a long day and was immediately woken up with a panic, he must've been hearing things or delusional. It was common in sleep-deprived patients. It was probably what was happening to him right now. He knew, he stood up, he would talk to Dr. Gloria and get rid of his suspicions. He sat back down. HIPPA laws. Besides, he needed to trust and respect Uraraka's decision. His eyes slid towards Deku still guarding the door. Katsuki scoffed, like he needed Deku to protect him. He knew growing up that his job would be to protect Deku, from the day he set his eyes on him. But it was almost laughable Deku protecting him now. After all they had been through. Growing up he knew it was going to be his job to protect Deku, he would have never guessed what his current situation would look like back before high school. Uraraka was strong. She didn't need him but wanted him around. It wasn't his business to know what was going on. But it had probably happened to her while she was helping him. It was his problem to fix. He needed to know what it was to fix it. His eyes slid towards Doctor Gloria who entered the room, glancing over Raiz's vitals before her eyes slide a glance towards him. He wouldn't ask. He didn't need to ask. Uraraka hid things, but-no he needed to know. But he also needed to trust her. Katsuki threw his head back into his hands, running his fingers through his hair and forcibly yanking the knots out.

"You need a break, don't come here for a week." Doctor Gloria sat next to him. "Also, get a shower before you come to tonight's formal. Your date probably would be embarrassed to be seen there with you after taking a whiff of you from a crossed the room."

"You need a guard at a hospital formal?"

Doctor Gloria shook her head, crossing her arms, "I'm not hiring you as a bodyguard, I'm telling you, you need a night off. Besides in less than a matter of months you've become one of our hospitals most renounced staff members, no one is going to have a problem with you at that party tonight."

He nodded, glancing towards Raiz and Kirishima. "I can't."

"You can and you will. I was planning on releasing him today, but just so you take a night off, I'll keep him an extra night, but that kid's heart is going to keep going just fine on its own, and I made the rest of those organs do you think I'd put them in someone if they weren't ready?"

"You've had those organs ready for months."

"They were ready, I wasn't."

He raised an eyebrow, "And you put them in Raiz."

"When you know, you know." Doctor Gloria stood up, tossing him a pair of keys, "Get a shower and something nice to wear."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, "Don't expect-"

"Don't tell me you're not bringing a date, you know better than to lie to me. Don't worry I'll handle her dress." Doctor Gloria winked at him before shutting the door.

He ran a hand through his hair, he didn't have time for that nonsense. He glanced towards the redhead staring at him through dazed and exhausted eyes. What had felt like a week had only been several days. He needed to get working on saving Kirishima from this lifestyle and helping him get back on his feet.

"It's not nonsense you know."

He glanced towards Kirishima.

"Finding time outside of work to be alive, take someone and swing them around the dance floor with no regard to anything else in your life, it's part of it. Everyone's fantasized about someone to swinging them around the dancefloor at least once in their life. And if you have the chance to do it, you've got to take it, man." Kirishima nodded.

Katsuki glanced towards Raiz, still asleep, his heart taking steady beats, then towards Kaminari bags so dark under his eyes people would be interviewing him soon about bagged-milk, then Kirishima who couldn't go anywhere fun or be the one to swing around that dancefloor he was passionately talking about. "I-"

"Dude, listen, I'm not some charity case you have to babysit. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I know I just got out of jail, I got my sidekick back, alive and out. That's more than most could ever ask for, and recovering from jail is going to take some time. If Uraraka's lawyer can help you out, I fully trust him. Raiz is nearly being able to be released and I know you know this, go have some fun." Kirishima nodded as though he had just given him a brilliant speech.

Katsuki glanced towards the window, "Yeah, sure whatever."

Several hours, a shower, and a fresh change of clothes later he was at the party courtesy of Deku's determined personality and Denki's inability to shut his mouth. Katsuki straightened his jacket, "See you at eleven!" Deku called over his shoulder as though he was some form of Cinderella. Even she had at least until midnight. Katsuki let out a breath. Doctor Gloria had probably prescribed a party for him because she was afraid that the stress level of both jobs was finally going to off him. Figures the only thing that he should worry about offing him is himself. He moved towards the table with the food, if he were going to have to be at this party flattering people he barely knew because of both of his jobs than he was going to at least have some form of reward. And currently, that reward entailed food. Katsuki managed to stuff his mouth before another intrusion tapped on his arm.

"Sir, if you wouldn't mind a dance?"

"I don't dance."

"I guess you don't know how. I'll just have to find a different suitor."

He glanced towards Uraraka, already turning away, confidence brimming in her eyes as half the hall was filled with possible suitors already examining her. Katsuki snatched her gloved hand, pulling her back, spinning them onto the dance floor with grace the only Uraraka would ever see, "I never said I didn't know how." He whispered in her ear.

Uraraka pulled closer, leaning towards his own ears, the heat of her breath encompassing them, he averted her gaze so she wouldn't be able to see the desire burning stronger than the fire on the sun in his eyes, "You're going to have to prove that one."

Several minutes later he had switched from the waltz to literally swinging around the dancefloor disregarding everything else in the world. He tightened his grip on Uraraka as he swung her around the dancefloor, her laughter bouncing off the walls as she tightened her grip on him in return. It had been a while since he felt so _alive._ It wasn't the alive, the exhilaration, that ran through his veins in the middle of a battle. It was a different kind, he wasn't the type, but if it kept up he knew his laughter would likely echo Uraraka's any moment now. The music picked up a pace matching his heart rate that decided that it was going to keep climbing as though it would be determined to get to the tip of the tallest mountain in the world through sheer willpower alone. And did he have willpower to spare. He swung Uraraka around the dance floor, her dress following suit and engulfing her as she pulled closer to him, laughter painting her cheeks in rose and a smile that would cause laugh lines down the road. Uraraka's eyes widened as the dancers behind them shoved against them causing them to stumble backward, he fumbled attempting to catch her but instead slipping on the dress of the woman behind him, in moments they were tangled on the literal dancefloor. It only took seconds for his blood to run cold. Uraraka pushed herself off of him, her face becoming covered in a thin blush, "Sorry, I-Katsuki what's wrong?" She paused scanning his face over as he grabbed her wrist, pulling off her glove and checking for himself. It was the opposite of his sky-rocketing one the more he let himself go to the proper conclusion in the midst of his own denial.

Uraraka had no heartbeat.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Uraraka's hands were frigid as though she had just returned from the Tundra, unnaturally. And he knew no amount of friction was going to warm them, "Are you going to help her up or what, man?" A rubbernecker laughed from his safe place within the crowd. She snatched her glove back, pulling herself up and moving away.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Not here." Uraraka hissed, moving out of the center of attention towards the edge of the crowd, and out the back door.

"I guess your dancing was that bad you scared her off." The rubbernecker called, Katsuki shot him the finger before proceeding to follow Uraraka.

He glanced at her, only a shall gathered around her arms, his anger was enough to keep him warm right now he slipped his coat off. Whoever did it was going to get it, they were going to feel more than his full fury than they could ever have considered. She waved his hand to him, "Keep it, I don't feel-"

"Not being able to feel is an extremely bad sign and possible case of hypothermia."

Uraraka rolled his eyes at him, "You know what I meant."

"That doesn't mean you can let your body decay, why didn't you tell us when Eri was fixing Raiz?"

Uraraka shrugged, glancing over her shoulder, "Eri's exhausted, saving Raiz was a huge toll on her and it's going to take her a while to wake up. I heard Deku talking earlier with her foster parents, she hasn't woken up since coming home, they believe it's from quirk-over usage." Uraraka shuffled, "How am I supposed to ask a child to save me?"

Katsuki pulled his jacket around Uraraka, attempting not to let her feel himself shaking, his own anger boiled within his chest threatening to burn him, it was enough to warm him. He felt as though he were gurgling on the words that were forming in his own mouth, as though he didn't understand how he couldn't have noticed or known when it happened, or at the very least prevented it, it was part of both his jobs after all. To keep someone alive. How could he forget to protect her? She wasn't the frail girl that everyone saw, but that didn't mean he could ignore protecting the strong. And he had failed her. The words steamed from his mouth, slithering to the balcony's flooring, "Who did it?"

Uraraka's eyes turned away from him, glancing over the galaxy, the stars that radiated the dreams they once had, "When I was little, I had imagined being able to be an astronaut. Who could imagine the girl that would one day control gravity would be restricted by it herself?"

Her eyes were set on the stars, but he was only looking at her. She was right they couldn't rely on a child to save her. Nor did he want to. "I'll give you my heart."

Red lit her face, but then she was calm with the dexterity that told him she'd be able to take down an army on her own, "Katsuki, you fool, I already have it." She reached her hand against his face brushing his hair out of the way, "You understand the value of everyone's life, but your own." His arm shifted, his hand wrapping around her arm, "You think everyone you love dies, is that the reason you're afraid to love yourself?"

His hand tightened around her wrist, "I'm not saying this because I want to die, but because I want you to live!"

Uraraka smiled at him, "Do you think the desire for someone else to live only exists within yourself? How selfish." She whispered, her eyes rolling back and her arms going limp. Katsuki caught her, the cold winds a crossed his back nothing in comparison to the temperature his blood felt as it had suddenly become. He lowered her to the ground. It wasn't logical that she was still moving with her heart not beating, but-

"Help!" His voice seemed unfamiliar to even himself as he screeched words that he had never prepared for himself to be saying, pleading with anyone to come to him. This was a party full of doctors and hospital staff and yet he knelt there with Uraraka in his arms-her heart ceasing to beat.

A bob of black hair pushed its way through on-lookers, Doctor Gloria's eyes stone cold as she shoved rubberneckers out of the way fighting in a battle of her own, she lowered herself next to them, being the only person that was going to successfully pull Uraraka out of his arms at this moment and already working, "Dammit. I thought I had more time." She hissed her hands moving and prepping the defibrillator.

"You knew?" He hissed.

"Of course I knew-"

"Why didn't you tell-"

"It's not just HIPPA laws, it's kind of hard when someone's constantly demanding you to play God each day!" Doctor Gloria glared at him.

He ran a hand through his hair as Doctor Gloria started the defibrillator knowing that if she didn't manage to fix this problem in a matter of moments she would move to use the defibrillator on him, "I don't-"

"It's not fucking magic Katsuki!" Doctor Gloria snapped, another shock to Uraraka. Uraraka had yet to move.

"Take my-"

"I'm not taking your heart out and even if I wanted to I wouldn't do it here, thanks for your bravery or whatever in your confused state but you would be both dead in a week if I did that darn surgery right here in the middle of this floor."

He glanced over Doctor Gloria, she wasn't wearing a party outfit, but her lab coat likely matted with liquids, she had been experimenting with something again. Likely trying to replace the supplies that she had lost in fixing half of Raiz's body.

Katsuki wrapped his hand around Uraraka's, "Why did you come to this party?"

"I thought it'd be fun." She lied, her eyes burning with a fierce desire not to be distracted.

Another on-looker placed their hand on Doctor Gloria's shoulder, "Look I know they call you Grim Reaper Gloria, but this girl is dead."

"Get off of me, this girl's been dead for a whole two days, if she can be dead for that long then I can make it beat again." Doctor Gloria pushed the man's hand off her shoulder with a fierce swat before continuing her counting. Doctor Gloria paused.

Katsuki glanced towards her, "What are you-"

Uraraka's hand tightened around her own, she coughed, and her eyes sliding back open, without a second thought he pulled her into his arms. Katsuki tightened his grip around Uraraka. It may be science to her, but Doctor Gloria was fucking magic to him.

Doctor Gloria sighed pulling her legs against herself, "Thank god. Girl next time you decide to do that girl me more time."

"I guess Grim Reaper does fit."

"Don't call me that, it's an insult. My first five patients died and on the sixth one after they were declared dead, I flipped out and they woke up." Doctor Gloria glared towards the party of on-lookers each craning their necks to see the latest gossip.

"It doesn't make much sense, but who wouldn't be a badass to have the grim reaper on their side?"

Doctor Gloria let out a faint smile before her eyes darted toward the crowd. Katsuki lit his hand, "Get out of here, this isn't a show and if it was it isn't free." The mass of the party darted, only a few brave souls remained each looking different directions pretending they weren't carefully watching the trio.

Uraraka pulled away from him, her hand reaching for her chest, "It's beating. On its own." She glanced towards Doctor Gloria.

She shrugged looking away, "Guess I'm a miracle worker after all."

Katsuki glanced Doctor Gloria over, the majority of her lab coat was covered in blood, "What were you doing?"

"What does it look like? I was making another heart, but it just kept exploding. I was on my fifth heart when something told me to go to the party. Honestly, I just wanted to make sure that you two went."

Uraraka moved her hair out of the way, "Thank you for saving my life." Her eyes slid towards him, "But I think I just said something that I might die of embarrassment now."

Doctor Gloria let out an echoing of laughter. A small smile graced her lips, "Come on let's get you two home. That heart that has taken care of you for so many years learn to take care of it better. I expect to see you tomorrow for an appointment around two."

Uraraka nodded, glancing towards Katsuki. About an hour and a rough car ride later, they were sitting back in the hospital.

"Look, it's beating just fine on its own. I'm not the one you need to worry about."

Katsuki shook his head clipping the monitor to her finger, "Put the rest on or I'll do it for you."

"Listen, I'm not-"

"Raiz is asleep in the next room with Kirishima and Denki next to him."

Uraraka shook her head, "I can't believe the guy that was always fighting for scores in the top of the class can be so dim."

He suppressed the growl emerging from within his chest, pushing the monitor stickers into her hand, "You don't want-"

"I might." Uraraka lifted her eyebrows, before lowering the equipment, "No wait, don't distract me! You need to listen, you're the target and you need to be more careful!"

He ran a hand through his hair, "It wasn't my heart that wasn't beating an hour ago!"

"Well-"

They both looked up at the sound of the door sliding open where Midoriya stood, "Did something happen?" His eyes glanced down towards the monitor resting in Katsuki's hand, following the wire towards Uraraka, then down towards the blood on Uraraka's clothes.

Uraraka threw her hands up, "It was a wild party that's all"

"That's not all it was, this moron decided that she would be able to hide her non-beating heart from the both of us."

Deku glanced between the two of them, "How?"

"The enemies quirk. You'd think that'd call for more of a panic."

"Uraraka you died?"

Uraraka waved her hands at him, "No, wait, listen, still beating just fine." Uraraka placed the stickers on, the monitor began to take her heart rate.

"Deku, stay with her. I've got something to do. And you, those better be on when I get back."

Uraraka rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out.

Katsuki slid into his car and within fifteen minutes he was at his destination, a half-burnt county jail. He glared it over, locking the doors and stomping up the stairs on a mission. Katsuki slid the door open, moving past the front desk, they each shot him knowing looks knowing where he was going. He slid the last door on the left open, what appeared to be a teenager but was really a monster sat at a desk a crossed the room. She set down whatever she was working on before moving closer to the glass that divided them, gracefully moving a chair and sitting a crossed from him, she appeared calm, but the chaos ragged a war within her eyes, a smile spreading on her lips as the thought of what she had done danced in her mind, "It's about time."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

The woman's, if anyone would call her that, eyes glistened over the mug as she scrutinized his figure. She was examining him. As though he were the one in the cage as if he were some sort of lab rat. He hated visiting the jail when it was Kirishima behind those bars, but now that it was someone he didn't want to see? It was a totally different kind of anger. Not the "I'm going to fix this" or "how dare they" anger, but the kind that ran through his fingers and danced down the trails his veins made for it.

"Should I say it? Oh, dear, is she dead? Already? I'm sure she should've had at least two more hours." A curt smile on her face and a soft-quick glance towards the clock. "She only has that many hours left to live and yet here you are spending time with me."

Katsuki glared a crossed the room, wondering if his revelation would startle her or motivate her, "She's not dead. In fact, all three of your targets are alive, healthy, and safe."

The girl laughed, "For now. That's how it always is. The woes of a hero. So, why the visit?"

He glanced towards the clock on the wall, every minute that was ticking down every minute he could've been with his team, his classmates; his friends. And instead, he was sitting there with her, listening to her lecture him about how he was going to fail. "I'm a hero I don't have time to fail." The chair screeched back.

"Where are you going? Weren't you going to ask me how long someone can survive outside the distance of my quirk?"

He glanced towards them. No. He was going to trust Doctor Gloria. He pulled the door open, Katsuki glanced towards her screeching as he walked out, anything to get his attention for a few more moments. He shut the door.

Doctor Gloria and Aizawa may never have met but they both were right on one thing that he was starting to realize: He needed to save himself. And that started with not hunting down what had caused him so many problems. Katsuki ran a hand through his hair, keying the lock on his car and starting the engine. His mind wandering to the night where Uraraka had pulled him from the burning vehicles. He took a breath, wrapping his hands around the wheel, and throwing his car in gear. It would take time. He punched in the number for Todoroki.

"You better not be in a creek. The only reason you call anymore is when you're in trouble."

Katsuki ended the call. That was a bad decision. He should've figured it out on his own. The phone rang again. He didn't want to answer it. But he had called him first, his hand reached swiping the phone up, "Look-"

"How many ambulances do I need to bring with me? Tell me you didn't cripple the guy."

"Half-and-Half listen, dammit!" He snapped, ready to hang the phone up again. Todoroki fell silent, likely still calculating how many ambulances he would need, his voice fell quiet, "I need help."

"Hey, are you really alright?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes, glancing towards traffic in front of him wishing it would move faster, "Obviously not. That's why I called."

Todoroki shuffled, a quite mutter to Elyon of where he was going before the sound of a door clicked, "Where are you? Do I need burn supplies, bandages?"

Katsuki sighed, "It's not physical."

Todoroki was silent, probably several thoughts battling in his head for dominance. Until it made sense why he would call him up instead of either of the two had been at his side through his worst times, "Drive to my house I'll be outside. And when you get here I want to drive."

"Don't-"

Todoroki hung up the phone. Sure enough, Todoroki was standing outside when he arrived, he moved to the driver side door.

"I'm driving." He tightened his hands on the wheel.

"Katsuk-"

"It gives me the feeling of control, alright!" He glared up towards Todoroki, with one eyebrow raised. He didn't even need to say anything the look on his face was all he needed, _you asked me for help._ Katsuki unbuckled the seatbelt, moving, reluctantly, to the passenger seat. "Only this once."

Todoroki nodded, seeming to ignore his grumbling, "So, what's the problem?"

Katsuki let the passenger side window support him, formulating his thoughts. The window began moving, "What the-" He glared towards Todoroki who just shrugged. He was trying to say that he couldn't help if he didn't know what the problem was. "Give me a minute okay. I might've changed my mind."

Todoroki sighed, "Look, I know you handle things in your own way, but it's very rare for you to ask for help. This time you need it. Assume I already know and just admit it."

He rolled his eyes, glancing back towards the city moving at its own pace outside the window. The nightlife was quiet with people that strolled and danced through the streets, "I don't know, okay. Sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not. Little things will bring things back that I don't want to know about. Raiz is alive, but that doesn't change the feeling in my chest. I keep going back to nights that were some of the best nights of my life and twisting them. I look at Raiz and think about holding his body in my arms knowing there was nothing I could do to save him. And then I wake up convinced I'm covered in the dirt I used to bury him. I think of the night I saw Uraraka on the edge of her balcony and feel my hand miss before-" He glanced towards the city, the people seeming to fade away and the town's lights taking precedence. There was a time when he would be able to stop and enjoy the lights, at least their existence. But now it was a sign to stay away or possibility a gateway to another memory he didn't want, "Forget this. It's stupid. Drive us back."

He glanced towards Todoroki, a solemn look on his face as though he were contemplating which wire to clip on the bomb that he knew was going to explode either way, "Katsuki, you've got PTSD."

Katsuki swerved his head to look at Todoroki, "I'm not that weak."

"It has nothing with weakness. Or strength in-fact. It's normal for a person who's been through a stressful situation." Todoroki shrugged, glancing in the rearview mirror, "It just happens." He was silent for a moment before speaking, "We both know you know I've been through the wringer with my fair share of bad situations, it's one of the main reasons you would come to me instead."

Katsuki ran a hand through his hair, it wasn't like he was wrong, but it didn't necessarily mean that he wanted him to be right. He glanced towards the barren building sitting in front of his car, he unlocked the glove box, pulling his gloves out.

"You won't need that."

He glanced at Todoroki, this was a shady building if he had ever seen one.

"It's the back. The front is a lot friendlier. Time to trust me."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, ready to turn the car back around, the only thing currently stopping him was the fact that Todoroki had his car keys in his hands and was already half-way to the door of the shady building. He followed Todoroki's voice down the pathways of the building, the insides seeming like a pre-school, smiley faces, rainbows, and various other elements lined the walls. He rolled his eyes he thought Todoroki knew better than to recruit him on daycare duty.

"Is Selene in?"

A woman at the reception nodded, standing up and leading them back behind the counter. Katsuki allowed Todoroki to lead for once, watching his every move. He seemed unnaturally relaxed in this environment, as though it hadn't suddenly shifted from being a dump. Todoroki put a hand on the door, almost as if hesitating, he glanced towards him, "Remember you came to me asking for help."

"Why would I forget?" He snapped as Todoroki pushed the door open. Behind the door was a room thoroughly decorated with couches, a miniature-trampoline, and a desk. The woman who sat behind the desk looked up from some of her paperwork, flipping it over and sliding it to the side before greeting them, concern lingered in her eyes.

"Welcome." She smiled

Todoroki nodded, motioning for Katsuki to follow him. Katsuki grumbled following along towards Todoroki who sat on the couch in front of Selene. "I'm not the one here to see you today."

Selene nodded, a glance towards him, she stood, "Hello, my name is Selene, I'm a professional therapist."

"I don't need to be fixed."

Selene shook her head, "Therapists aren't necessarily for fixing people, but helping people learn to cope. We're sort of like life-teachers."

Katsuki rolled his eyes and sent a glance towards half-and-half who was already exiting the room, "He'll likely be back in twenty minutes. The kids like to see him. A survivor of a lot, he seems to be doing well and he also gives both the kids and the adults hope. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you that, especially if you've gone to him for help."

Katsuki crossed his arms, and leaned back, "Assuming I'm here for that are you going to keep babbling or tell me what the first step is?"

"Realize you have a problem, then decide to deal with it. It's not going to be fast, and even when you feel as you may think better, it'll be there. But it won't be as severe. And since you're here, I'll have you know you're on the right track."

Katsuki glanced towards the clock, if Todoroki didn't have the keys he would've darted from this place already. It was out-of-character for him to spill his guts out to Todoroki, or anyone in that matter, but to a stranger? Who wanted him to do it on a drop of a dime? That wasn't happening.

Selene nodded, "It'll take time. I only have general knowledge that's already out in the public, but you have to tell me your opinion and perspective of it all or it doesn't help me much. It's clear to me that you won't honestly tell me much in one or two sessions, but progress doesn't happen immediately either, I want you to keep coming back." She pulled out a calendar, flipping through the pages, and notebook paper. "Could you write on the notebook paper which days are right for you? And I'll figure out how to schedule you in."

He shook his head picking up the pen unsure why he was doing this or why he had bothered to bring himself to this place in the first place.

"Remember therapy isn't the only answer on how to deal with things, but it does help by providing a guide." Selene continued, "And don't assume, for shorter terms, that I'm cure-all. I'm not. What works for one or two people may not work for many others."

He nodded, wondering why he was letting this woman continue on her explanation. He was a hero, he knew what happened in most therapy locations. It was part of the job to know. Katsuki ran a hand through his hair, "Look I'm just been having a bad time right now. It's a lot to explain."

Selene raised an eyebrow, "It's literally my job to listen."

The words seemed to flow out both naturally and unnaturally at times, mixing together at changing lengths and speeds as Selene spent the next several moments listening to him describe to her his literal life's story from the very beginning to the current moment. After he finished Selene nodded setting the notebook down.

"Todoroki's right, PTSD actually isn't that uncommon in our society. I did my thesis on trauma in a hero-based society, using the consideration of how we used to live. Trauma is about even, considerably worse, but very common in many heroes, some you wouldn't even suspect. But also another problem with what you've just told me, when was the last time that you did something other than work?"

Katsuki glanced towards the clock on the wall, more than twenty minutes had passed, Todoroki hadn't come back yet.

"He's likely still playing with the kids. Knowing him he'll wait for you by the lobby instead of by the door. Because that's what he would want you to do for him."

He nodded, glancing back to Selene, "I went to court a couple months ago."

Selene raised an eyebrow, "And?"

"The beach right after."

"Which is not the best example, while a good start, it ends poorly." Selene shuffled in her desk pulling several magazines out, "Downtown living, clubs, bars, and the like. Check some out this weekend at the very least." She slid them towards him.

Katsuki sighed picking them up in his hands, "I can't. It won't help if I'm spending all day worrying about Kirishima and Raiz."

"Take them with you."

"Kirishima is on house arrest."

"From what I know. Not for along. Say hi to Lawyer Henderick's for me." Selene glanced at the door as a knocking followed.

Todoroki stuck his head in, "He hasn't burned anything has he?"

Selene laughed, shaking her head, "No, we were just talking."

Todoroki nodded, before a swift glance towards Katsuki, "downtown nightlife?"

"I recommended it for him. You'll have to be the one to talk him into going."

Todoroki nodded, sent a quick apology for intruding so close to closing time, and ushered them back to the car.

Katsuki slid into the passenger seat, Todoroki holding out the keys as though he were relinquishing a hostage, "It's okay. Just drive us back."

Todoroki nodded, keying the engine and driving back towards his home. Todoroki slid him his phone, "Call Uraraka."

He didn't have to be told twice, he had already been considering calling her, attempting to push it to the back of his mind, but it was there constantly.

"Hello?" She sounded okay, her voice had more clarity than it originally did. He was half-ready to breath a sigh of relief. "Katsuki?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm on my way back, I'll be there shortly. I just have to drop Todoroki off at his place first."

Uraraka was silent for a moment, likely considering that it was odd that he was with Todoroki, but also considering the fact that he had his own roundabout way of checking on his classmates, "Is everything alright?"

He pondered what to answer her, his reflection grimacing at him for even considering a lie. She would know. And he didn't want to lie to her. There was no reason to hide anything from her. "It's going to be. Todoroki said to call."

He could hear Uraraka's smile in her voice, "It's something you tell in person, but I'm sure he just wanted to relieve you of some stress. I talked to Lawyer Hendrick and he arranged a lot for us. Kirishima's free."

Katsuki let his head fall into his hands. Finally. Finally. From the moment Kirishima was dragged in was too long. The amount of time that it had taken them to fix the problem was devastating. But now Kirishima was free. "We're going out tonight, drinks on me."

Todoroki through the car in park, pulling out his phone, "Tell her we'll meet them there."

And that's how ten minutes later they found themselves at one of the more exclusive bars. It was empty, but it was a good place to start. For someone who had just won back his well-deserved freedom and another who was winning back his life from his past, it was a good start of places to go. Kirishima set a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, man, I may have not wanted to talk, but thanks for staying by my side."

He let a soft smile escape, one that only long-time friends ever got to see, "I've always had your back, as you've had mine."

Kirishima nodded, moving back towards Raiz on the dance floor. Katsuki glanced towards Kirishima and Raiz, smiling from ear-to-ear on their first experience out since everything had been ripped from their hands months ago only to be returned by a miracle.

Katsuki moved to the bar, he had a promise to keep, "Two's good."

The bartender slid the drinks down to him, Katsuki slid the second drink to the seat next to him, "Like I promised. We won." He tilted the drink back, slamming it down with a tip.

A warm, soft, alive hand slid into his, "Care for a quick dance?"

Katsuki pulled Uraraka into his arms. He must've known from the moment he set eyes on her that this would be the woman he would want to lure him into dance for the rest of his life. He was exactly where he wanted to be. Surrounded by friends, the woman of his dreams so tight in his arms she couldn't get any closer. Kirishima shooting him a toothy smile, Raiz nearby, alive. The past was riddled with his regrets and monsters, memories and humans both, but the world could never make him regret the people he chose to surround him. Uraraka slipped her hands into his own, her warmth directly against his own, he let her lead, spinning him around the dancefloor. And damn did she look gorgeous, her disheveled hair, unkempt clothes, and unsteady feet. And she was beautiful. If he ever had to use a woman to describe what the future should look like, it would and always had been her.

"Uraraka, be mine."

"What? I couldn't hear you over the music" She looked him in the eyes.

"I said be mine."

"What?" The galaxy shone in her eyes.

"I said-"

Her smile twitched, "I know, I just liked it a lot." She paused glancing this way and that, "Honestly, I just wanted to hear your voice." She pulled closer to him, landing a peck on his cheek. It was a strange feeling knowing that his future currently took a physical form that he could grasp in his arms. But it wasn't wrong. It was hopeful. Electricity ran through his arms in the thought of the future. He didn't have time to regret his decisions, he would be too busy moving forwards.


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Katsuki tightened the noose around his neck, "Dude, if you don't like ties so much just talk to her about it." Kirishima called from over his shoulder.

"It's her wedding day, I'm not going to mess it up."

"It's your wedding day too!" Kirishima shook his head at him.

Katsuki sighed, "I can at least wear this for a couple of hours. She chose the colors in mind of our hero outfits." He tightened the orange silk tie, knowing that Uraraka had spent hours planning this wedding. He knew, no matter what happened, it wasn't going to be less than perfect. He moved to the aisle, where he belonged, glancing around, the decorations were up. Everyone was in order and the benches were full. It was hard to imagine that they had affected so many lives, but there they were. Praying to whatever deity they prayed to for their future to be a golden one. Each person that walked down the aisle made him more impatient, he couldn't wait much longer, he was about ready to run to her, but then there she was. And she was more than perfect, she was the stars on a clear winter night in the mountains, breath taking would never be enough to describe her. Uraraka smiled, kissing her father on the cheek before moving to take his arm.

A soft laughter came from her, "You actually wore it."

"You asked."

"You know there's a betting pool if you're going to wear your tie or not."

He glanced towards her, "Which one did you bet in?"

"Do you want to know?"

"Of course, I do." He glanced down at Uraraka, struggling to imagine how it was him that her arm was wrapped around.

"The girls have been arguing yes or no, but I bet that you would, but only for the first half and would have it off before they even managed to stand."

"How are you so good?" Katsuki laughed, she was exactly right, that had been his plan all along. The room shook as he pulled her closer. She would be devastated if she ripped her wedding dress with how he had convinced her to not look at the price and buy whatever, it took a lot of coaxing of his parents. Heck, his parents were half-way to designing her dress. But there was no reason she should have to fight in that with so many pro heroes around.

A man barreled through the doors, a weapon raised, Uraraka's arm swiftly leaving his, ferocity of a lion in her eyes, "Oh, look. The pinata must've arrived early." Uraraka glared down towards the man who should've been running the moment he thought he was going to crash the wedding. Uraraka lifted her train moving towards the villain, "I hope you like telling your friends how a woman in her wedding dress had to beat you up." Fire blazed in her eyes, and damn, was she amazing. The man raised his hands, backing out of the room.

"Damn, I love you."

"I love you too." Her smile was soft, beautiful, and her eyes knew more than he could ever imagine as she held the galaxies secrets in her bosom.

"You may kiss your bride."

Katsuki wrapped his arm around her hips swinging her into a dip and kissing her. This was his future and he couldn't wait to find out what it had in store for him. There had been times where he told himself that the future could wait. But not anymore, the future was ferocious and powerful, and fire burned bright in her eyes. The future held the secrets of the galaxy. And his heart.

~Fin~


End file.
